JACKSON, MI (92 7 WHTC, Nov. 4, 2026) – The future of the Calkins Bridge Dam in Allegan is still uncertain.
On Tuesday, Consumers Energy officials announced that the Jackson-based utility provided state regulators more time to approve the sale of 13 hydroelectric dams, including the one that has created a 1,600-acre Lake Allegan on the Kalamazoo River, to Confluence Hydro. This would push the deadline for a decision from next Monday to December 17th, and would allow Consumers to work “with interested parties to achieve a constructive settlement.”
Last year, the utility entered into an agreement with the subsidiary of the equity firm Hull Street Energy to buy the 13 dams along five rivers for a dollar each. The deal would turn operations to Confluence Hydro for a 30-year-long period, selling the electricity back to Consumers at a starting rate of $160 per megawatt hour, about double the current rate, with a 2.5 percent annual price increase over the length of the agreement. The utility claims that this would save its customers around $500 million, compared to decommissioning the dams, which could have led to their dismantlement.
Opponents, led by state Attorney General Dana Nessel and Governor Gretchen Whitmer, claim that the private equity firm ownership could lead to “catastrophic” dam failures, and the deal lacks sufficient financial safeguards for maintenance.
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