Consumers Energy announced Monday that it has completed the $1.5 billion Mid-Michigan Pipeline project to modernize its natural gas system.

The 55-mile pipeline, which spans Clinton, Shiawassee, Ingham, Livingston, and Washtenaw counties, replaces aging infrastructure with a more reliable 36-inch pipeline.

“Our friends and neighbors count on us to safely and affordably heat their homes and businesses,” said David Hicks, Consumers Energy vice president who was in charge of the project’s execution. 

“The Mid-Michigan Pipeline ensures we can meet Michigan’s needs for decades to come,” Hicks stated. He added that the just-completed Michigan pipeline and other Consumer Energy’s pipelines play a critical role in its national gas delivery plan. 

The project also prioritized environmental sustainability, with crews rescuing and releasing dozens of young turtles and planting wildflower seeds along the pipeline route to attract pollinators for a well-balanced ecosystem. 

According to Consumer Energy, work on the initial phase of the pipeline, which stretched from Williamston to Ovid, was completed last year. This year, the company’s engineering team worked in the Sleepy Hollow State Park and finalised the project. 

This is the latest in a series of major pipeline projects for Consumers Energy, including the Saginaw Trail Pipeline in 2020 and the South Oakland Macomb Network in 2022.