CMS ENERGY CORP - CMS STOCK NEWS

Consumers Energy has announced two major renewable energy initiatives in Michigan. The first, 'Green Giving', is a pioneering program allowing low-income customers to benefit from renewable energy projects through community-sponsored subscriptions, offering monthly bill credits of $10-$20. Eligible customers must have income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.

The second initiative is an expanded Residential Renewable Energy Program available to all income levels, where customers can choose their subscription level through a website tool. These programs support the company's Clean Energy Plan, which aims to eliminate coal by 2025 and achieve net-zero carbon emissions. By 2040, over 60% of their electric capacity will come from renewable sources.

Consumers Energy serves 6.8 million residents across Michigan's Lower Peninsula, targeting 90% of customers' energy needs through clean sources including wind and solar.

NorthStar Clean Energy has secured up to $334 million in construction-to-term financing for two major solar projects in Michigan. The projects include the 200 MW Branch Solar facility in Branch County and the 50 MW Genesee Solar project in Genesee County.

These facilities will collectively generate enough clean electricity to power approximately 36,000 homes annually. The financing was arranged through collaboration with lead arrangers BNP Paribas, MUFG, and SMBC, with legal advisory services provided by multiple law firms.

The Branch Solar project will become NorthStar's largest solar asset in Michigan, while the Genesee Solar project will be developed in a historically disenfranchised community, supporting local economic development and job creation.

Consumers Energy announced significant workforce expansion initiatives to support its Reliability Roadmap program. The company has hired or promoted over 100 employees in the Journey Worker Electric Lines team over the past year. Currently, 289 active electric lines apprentices are enrolled in various training programs, including the School to Work initiative, Marshall Training Center, and Power 4 America.

The company's 2024 performance showed notable improvements, with customers' average outage time reduced by over 20 minutes, and power restoration achieved within 24 hours 93% of the time. The Reliability Roadmap, announced in 2023, aims to limit single outages to affecting no more than 100,000 customers and ensure power restoration within 24 hours.

As Michigan's largest energy provider, Consumers Energy serves 6.8 million residents across 68 Lower Peninsula counties with natural gas and electricity services. The company is expanding its workforce for substations projects and undergrounding electric lines through internal transitions and external hires.

Consumers Energy has announced a special initiative to help senior customers manage their winter energy bills through March 31, 2025. The company is proactively reaching out to customers aged 65 and older through their Senior Check-in program, offering personalized payment assistance options and energy-saving strategies.

Home heating represents approximately 30% of customers' energy bills, with water heaters accounting for 15%. The company recommends installing programmable smart thermostats, which can reduce heating costs by up to 20%. Customers can save 1-3% for every degree they lower their thermostat.

Available assistance programs include:

• Winter Protection Plan for partial payments during winter
• Electric Senior Citizen Bill Credits of $4 monthly
• Home Heating Credit for those at or below 110% of federal poverty level
• Additional resources through Michigan Aging & Adult Services Agency

Consumers Energy (CMS) has launched 'Count on Us Kalamazoo!', a year-long initiative focused on energy waste reduction in underserved communities. The program targets three zip codes in Kalamazoo during 2025, offering energy-efficient upgrades to homes for customers at or below 250% of the federal poverty level.

The initiative includes various improvements such as pipe wrap installation, smart thermostat replacements, window film installation, HVAC tune-ups, and duct cleaning. Select income-qualified homeowners may also be eligible for premium energy efficiency upgrades. This expansion follows a successful implementation in Flint during 2023-2024.

Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest energy provider serving 6.8 million residents, will collaborate with local community action agencies and non-profit organizations to implement these upgrades. The company will also sponsor outreach events and distribute energy savings kits throughout Kalamazoo during the year.

CMS Energy has announced its Board of Directors' declaration of a quarterly dividend on the company's 4.200% Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C. Shareholders of record as of April 1, 2025, will receive a dividend payment of $0.2625 per depositary share on April 15, 2025. The dividend applies to shares trading under the ticker symbol CMS PRC on the NYSE.

The Michigan-based energy provider, which operates primarily through its Consumers Energy business and maintains independent power generation operations, has made detailed dividend information, including tax status of distributions, available through the Tax Information section of its website.

Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy, has announced its quarterly dividend declaration on preferred stock. The Board of Directors has approved a dividend payment of $1.125 per share on the $4.50 preferred stock (NYSE: CMS_pb). The dividend will be paid on April 1, 2025, to shareholders of record as of March 3, 2025.

CMS Energy, based in Michigan, operates primarily through Consumers Energy and maintains independent power generation businesses. Shareholders can access additional dividend information, including tax status details, through the Tax Information section of CMS Energy's website.

CMS Energy has announced a dividend increase, raising its quarterly dividend from 51.50 cents to 54.25 cents per share. Based on the closing price of $67.12, this represents an annualized yield of 3.2%. The first quarter dividend is payable on February 28, 2025, to shareholders of record as of February 17, 2025.

The increase brings the annualized dividend to $2.17 per share, reflecting what CEO Garrick Rochow describes as strong commitment and execution of the company's strategy. CMS Energy, listed on NYSE under the symbol CMS, operates primarily through its electric and natural gas utility, Consumers Energy, and maintains independent power generation businesses.

CMS Energy reported strong financial results for 2024, with earnings per share reaching $3.33, up from $3.01 in 2023. Adjusted earnings per share were $3.34, compared to $3.11 in 2023.

The company increased its annual dividend by 11 cents to $2.17 for 2025, marking the 19th consecutive year of dividend increases. CMS Energy also raised its 2025 adjusted earnings guidance to $3.54-$3.60 per share and reaffirmed long-term adjusted EPS growth of 6-8%.

Operational highlights for 2024 include record investments in the electric grid through the Reliability Roadmap, improving power restoration times to over 93% of customers within 24 hours (up from 87% in 2023). The company also secured over 360 megawatts of new load through economic development efforts.