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Cover and table of contents

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024

OR

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission File No.Registrant; State of Incorporation; Address; and Telephone NumberIRS Employer Identification No.
1-9513CMS_Logo.jpgCMS ENERGY CORPORATION38-2726431
(A Michigan Corporation) One Energy Plaza, Jackson, Michigan 49201 (517) 788-0550
1-5611CE_Logo_JPEG.jpgCONSUMERS ENERGY COMPANY38-0442310
(A Michigan Corporation) One Energy Plaza, Jackson, Michigan 49201 (517) 788-0550
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each classTrading Symbol(s)Name of each exchange on which registered
CMS Energy Corporation Common Stock, $0.01 par valueCMSNew York Stock Exchange
CMS Energy Corporation 5.625% Junior Subordinated Notes due 2078CMSANew York Stock Exchange
CMS Energy Corporation 5.875% Junior Subordinated Notes due 2078CMSCNew York Stock Exchange
CMS Energy Corporation 5.875% Junior Subordinated Notes due 2079CMSDNew York Stock Exchange
CMS Energy Corporation Depositary Shares, each representing a 1/1,000th interest in a share of 4.200% Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series CCMS PRCNew York Stock Exchange
Consumers Energy Company Cumulative Preferred Stock, $100 par value: $4.50 SeriesCMS-PBNew York Stock Exchange
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
CMS Energy Corporation:Yes☒No☐Consumers Energy Company:Yes☒No☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
CMS Energy Corporation:Yes☐No☒Consumers Energy Company:Yes☐No☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
CMS Energy Corporation:Yes☒No☐Consumers Energy Company:Yes☒No☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S‑T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
CMS Energy Corporation:Yes☒No☐Consumers Energy Company:Yes☒No☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non‑accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b‑2 of the Exchange Act.
CMS Energy Corporation:Consumers Energy Company:
Large accelerated filer☒Large accelerated filer☐
Non‑accelerated filer☐Non‑accelerated filer☒
Accelerated filer☐Accelerated filer☐
Smaller reporting company☐Smaller reporting company☐
Emerging growth company☐Emerging growth company☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
CMS Energy Corporation:☐Consumers Energy Company:☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
CMS Energy Corporation:☒Consumers Energy Company:☒
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.
CMS Energy Corporation:☐Consumers Energy Company:☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).
CMS Energy Corporation:☐Consumers Energy Company:☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b‑2 of the Exchange Act).
CMS Energy Corporation:Yes☐No☒Consumers Energy Company:Yes☐No☒

The aggregate market value of CMS Energy voting and non‑voting common equity held by non‑affiliates was $17.701 billion for the 297,340,567 CMS Energy Corporation Common Stock shares outstanding on June 28, 2024 based on the closing sale price of $59.53 for CMS Energy Corporation Common Stock, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange on such date. There were no shares of Consumers common equity held by non‑affiliates as of June 28, 2024.

There were 298,794,638 shares of CMS Energy Corporation Common Stock outstanding on January 17, 2025. On January 17, 2025, CMS Energy held all 84,108,789 outstanding shares of common stock of Consumers.

Documents incorporated by reference in Part III: CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ proxy statement relating to their 2025 Annual Meetings of Shareholders to be held May 2, 2025.

Table of Contents

CMS Energy Corporation

Consumers Energy Company

Annual Reports on Form 10‑K to the Securities and Exchange Commission for the Year Ended December 31, 2024

Table of Contents

Glossary2
Filing Format13
Forward-looking Statements and Information13
Part I17
Item 1.Business17
Item 1A.Risk Factors38
Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments50
Item 1C.Cybersecurity50
Item 2.Properties51
Item 3.Legal Proceedings51
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures51
Part II52
Item 5.Market For Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities52
Item 6.Reserved53
Item 7.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations53
Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk88
Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data89
Item 9.Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure189
Item 9A.Controls and Procedures189
Item 9B.Other Information191
Item 9C.Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections191
Part III191
Item 10.Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance191
Item 11.Executive Compensation192
Item 12.Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters193
Item 13.Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence193
Item 14.Principal Accountant Fees and Services193
Part IV195
Item 15.Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules195
Item 16.Form 10-K Summary208
Signatures209

Glossary

Certain terms used in the text and financial statements are defined below.

2023 Form 10‑K
Each of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the year ended December 31, 2023
2023 Energy Law
Michigan’s Public Acts 229, 230, 231, 233, 234, and 235 of 2023
3G
Third generation technology
4G
Fourth generation technology
ABATE
Association of Businesses Advocating Tariff Equity
ABO
Accumulated benefit obligation; the liabilities of a pension plan based on service and pay to date, which differs from the PBO in that it does not reflect expected future salary increases
AFUDC
Allowance for borrowed and equity funds used during construction
AOCI
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
ARO
Asset retirement obligation
ASC 715
Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Codification Topic 715, Retirement Benefits
ASP
Appliance Service Plan
ASU
Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Update
Audit Committee
The Audit Committee of the Board, which is composed entirely of independent directors.
Aviator Wind
Aviator Wind Holdings, LLC, a VIE in which Aviator Wind Equity Holdings holds a Class B membership interest
Aviator Wind Equity Holdings
Aviator Wind Equity Holdings, LLC, a VIE in which Grand River Wind, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy, has a 51‑percent interest
Bay Harbor
A residential/commercial real estate area located near Petoskey, Michigan, in which CMS Energy sold its interest in 2002
Bcf
Billion cubic feet
Board
Board of Directors of CMS Energy and Consumers
CAO
Chief Accounting Officer
CCR
Coal combustion residual
CEO
Chief Executive Officer
CERCLA
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended
CFO
Chief Financial Officer
CIO
Chief Information Officer
city-gate contract
An arrangement made for the point at which a local distribution company physically receives gas from a supplier or pipeline
Clean Air Act
Federal Clean Air Act of 1963, as amended
Clean Energy Plan
Consumers’ long-term strategy for delivering clean, reliable, resilient, and affordable energy to its customers; this plan was originally outlined and approved in Consumers’ 2018 integrated resource plan and subsequently updated and approved through its 2021 integrated resource plan
Clean Water Act
Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, as amended
CMS Capital
CMS Capital, L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of CMS Energy
CMS Energy
CMS Energy Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise noted; the parent of Consumers and NorthStar Clean Energy
CMS ERM
CMS Energy Resource Management Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy
CMS Gas Transmission
CMS Gas Transmission Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy
CMS Land
CMS Land Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of CMS Capital, L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of CMS Energy
Consumers
Consumers Energy Company and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise noted; a wholly owned subsidiary of CMS Energy
Consumers 2014 Securitization Funding
Consumers 2014 Securitization Funding LLC, a wholly owned consolidated bankruptcy-remote subsidiary of Consumers and special-purpose entity organized for the sole purpose of purchasing and owning securitization property, issuing securitization bonds, and pledging its interest in securitization property to a trustee to collateralize the securitization bonds
Consumers 2023 Securitization Funding
Consumers 2023 Securitization Funding LLC, a wholly owned consolidated bankruptcy-remote subsidiary of Consumers and special-purpose entity organized for the sole purpose of purchasing and owning securitization property, issuing securitization bonds, and pledging its interest in securitization property to a trustee to collateralize the securitization bonds
Covert Generating Station
A 1,200-MW natural gas-fueled generation station that was acquired by Consumers in May 2023 from New Covert Generating Company, LLC, a non-affiliated company
Craven
Craven County Wood Energy Limited Partnership, a VIE in which HYDRA‑CO Enterprises, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy, has a 50‑percent interest
CSAPR
Cross-State Air Pollution Rule of 2011, as amended
DB Pension Plan A
Defined benefit pension plan of CMS Energy and Consumers, including certain present and former affiliates and subsidiaries, created as of December 31, 2017 for active employees who were covered under the defined benefit pension plan that closed in 2005
DB Pension Plan B
Defined benefit pension plan of CMS Energy and Consumers, including certain present and former affiliates and subsidiaries, amended as of December 31, 2017 to include only retired and former employees who were covered under the defined benefit pension plan that closed in 2005
DB Pension Plans
Defined benefit pension plans of CMS Energy and Consumers, comprising DB Pension Plan A and DB Pension Plan B
DB SERP
Defined Benefit Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan
DCCP
Defined Company Contribution Plan
DC SERP
Defined Contribution Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan
DIG
Dearborn Industrial Generation, L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of Dearborn Industrial Energy, L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy
Dodd-Frank Act
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010
DTE Electric
DTE Electric Company, a non‑affiliated company
EEI
Edison Electric Institute, an association representing all U.S. investor-owned electric companies
EGLE
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
EnerBank
EnerBank USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of CMS Capital until October 1, 2021
energy waste reduction
The reduction of energy consumption through energy efficiency and demand-side energy conservation, as established under Michigan law
EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPS
Earnings per share
ERCOT
Electric Reliability Council of Texas
Exchange Act
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Federal Power Act
Federal Power Act of 1920
FERC
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
First Mortgage Bond Indenture
Indenture dated as of September 1, 1945 between Consumers and The Bank of New York Mellon, as Trustee, as amended and supplemented
FTR
Financial transmission right
GAAP
U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
GCC
Gas Customer Choice, which allows gas customers to purchase gas from alternative suppliers
GCR
Gas cost recovery
Genesee
Genesee Power Station Limited Partnership, a VIE in which HYDRA‑CO Enterprises, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy, has a 50‑percent interest
Good Neighbor Plan
A plan issued by the EPA which secures significant reductions in ozone-forming emissions of NOx from power plants and industrial facilities
Grayling
Grayling Generating Station Limited Partnership, a VIE in which HYDRA‑CO Enterprises, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy, has a 50‑percent interest
GWh
Gigawatt-hour, a unit of energy equal to one billion watt-hours
Internal Revenue Code
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
IRS
Internal Revenue Service
kV
Thousand volts, a unit used to measure the difference in electrical pressure along a current
kVA
Thousand volt-amperes, a unit used to reflect the electrical power capacity rating of equipment or a system
kWh
Kilowatt-hour, a unit of energy equal to one thousand watt-hours
Ludington
Ludington pumped-storage plant, jointly owned by Consumers and DTE Electric
MATS
Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, which limit mercury, acid gases, and other toxic pollution from coal‑fueled and oil‑fueled power plants
MCV Facility
A 1,647-MW natural gas-fueled, combined-cycle cogeneration facility operated by the MCV Partnership
MCV Partnership
Midland Cogeneration Venture Limited Partnership, a non-affiliated company
MCV PPA
PPA between Consumers and the MCV Partnership
METC
Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC, a non‑affiliated company
MGP
Manufactured gas plant
Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, as amended
MISO
Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc.
mothball
To place a generating unit into a state of extended reserve shutdown in which the unit is inactive and unavailable for service for a specified period, during which the unit can be brought back into service after receiving appropriate notification and completing any necessary maintenance or other work; generation owners in MISO must request approval to mothball a unit, and MISO then evaluates the request for reliability impacts
MPSC
Michigan Public Service Commission
MRV
Market-related value of plan assets
MW
Megawatt, a unit of power equal to one million watts
MWh
Megawatt-hour, a unit of energy equal to one million watt-hours
NAAQS
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Natural Gas Act
Natural Gas Act of 1938
NERC
North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a non‑affiliated company responsible for developing and enforcing reliability standards, monitoring the bulk power system, and educating and certifying industry personnel
Newport Solar Holdings
Newport Solar Holdings III, LLC, a VIE in which Newport Solar Equity Holdings LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Grand River Solar, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy, holds a Class B membership interest
NorthStar Clean Energy
NorthStar Clean Energy Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of CMS Energy, formerly known as CMS Enterprises Company
NOx
Nitrogen oxides
NPDES
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, a permit system for regulating point sources of pollution under the Clean Water Act
NREPA
Part 201 of Michigan’s Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act of 1994, as amended
NWO Holdco
NWO Holdco, L.L.C., a VIE in which NWO Holdco I, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Grand River Wind, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy, holds a Class B membership interest
OPEB
Other post-employment benefits
OPEB Plan
Postretirement health care and life insurance plans of CMS Energy and Consumers, including certain present and former affiliates and subsidiaries
OSHA
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PBO
Projected benefit obligation
PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl
PFAS
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances
PISP
Performance Incentive Stock Plan
PJM
PJM Interconnection Inc.
PPA
Power purchase agreement
PSCR
Power supply cost recovery
PURPA
Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978
RCRA
Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
REC
Renewable energy credit
Reliability Roadmap
Consumers’ five-year strategy to improve its electric distribution system and the reliability of the grid; this plan was filed with the MPSC in 2023, and is an update to Consumers’ previous Electric Distribution Infrastructure Investment Plan filed in 2021
ROA
Retail Open Access, which allows electric generation customers to choose alternative electric suppliers pursuant to Michigan’s Public Acts 141 and 142 of 2000, as amended
S&P
Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC
SEC
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
securitization
A financing method authorized by statute and approved by the MPSC which allows a utility to sell its right to receive a portion of the rate payments received from its customers for the repayment of securitization bonds issued by a special-purpose entity affiliated with such utility
SOFR
Secured overnight financing rate calculated and published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York
TAES
Toshiba America Energy Systems Corporation, a non-affiliated company
TBJH
TBJH Inc., a non-affiliated company
TCJA
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
Term SOFR
The rate per annum that is a forward-looking term rate based on SOFR
T.E.S. Filer City
T.E.S. Filer City Station Limited Partnership, a VIE in which HYDRA‑CO Enterprises, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy, has a 50‑percent interest
Toshiba
Toshiba Corporation, a non-affiliated company
USW
United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO-CLC
UWUA
Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO
VEBA trust
Voluntary employees’ beneficiary association trusts accounts established specifically to set aside employer-contributed assets to pay for future expenses of the OPEB Plan
VIE
Variable interest entity
Wolverine Power
Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, Inc., a non-affiliated company

Filing Format

This combined Form 10‑K is separately filed by CMS Energy and Consumers. Information in this combined Form 10‑K relating to each individual registrant is filed by such registrant on its own behalf. Consumers makes no representation regarding information relating to any other companies affiliated with CMS Energy other than its own subsidiaries.

CMS Energy is the parent holding company of several subsidiaries, including Consumers and NorthStar Clean Energy. None of CMS Energy, NorthStar Clean Energy, nor any of CMS Energy’s other subsidiaries (other than Consumers) has any obligation in respect of Consumers’ debt securities or preferred stock and holders of such securities should not consider the financial resources or results of operations of CMS Energy, NorthStar Clean Energy, nor any of CMS Energy’s other subsidiaries (other than Consumers and its own subsidiaries (in relevant circumstances)) in making a decision with respect to Consumers’ debt securities or preferred stock. Similarly, neither Consumers nor any other subsidiary of CMS Energy has any obligation in respect of securities of CMS Energy.

Forward-looking Statements and Information

This Form 10‑K and other CMS Energy and Consumers disclosures may contain forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The use of “anticipates,” “assumes,” “believes,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “goals,” “guidance,” “intends,” “may,” “might,” “objectives,” “plans,” “possible,” “potential,” “predicts,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “targets,” “will,” and other similar words is intended to identify forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainty. This discussion of potential risks and uncertainties is designed to highlight important factors that may impact CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ businesses and financial outlook. CMS Energy and Consumers have no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements regardless of whether new information, future events, or any other factors affect the information contained in the statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to various factors that could cause CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated in these statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following, all of which are potentially significant:

  • the impact and effect of recent events, such as worsening trade relations, geopolitical tensions, war, acts of terrorism, and the responses to these events, and related economic disruptions including, but not limited to, inflation, energy price volatility, and supply chain disruptions

  • the impact of new regulation by the MPSC, FERC, and other applicable governmental proceedings and regulations, including any associated impact on electric or gas rates or rate structures

  • potentially adverse regulatory treatment, effects of a failure to receive timely regulatory orders that are or could come before the MPSC, FERC, or other governmental authorities, or effects of a government shutdown

  • changes in the performance of or regulations applicable to MISO, METC, pipelines, railroads, vessels, or other service providers that CMS Energy, Consumers, or any of their affiliates rely on to serve their customers

  • the adoption of or challenges to federal or state laws or regulations or changes in applicable laws, rules, regulations, principles, or practices, or in their interpretation, such as those related to energy policy, ROA, the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, infrastructure integrity or security, cybersecurity, gas pipeline safety, gas pipeline capacity, energy waste reduction, the

financial compensation mechanism, the environment, regulation or deregulation, reliability, health care reforms, taxes, accounting matters, climate change, air emissions, renewable energy, the Dodd-Frank Act, and other business issues that could have an impact on CMS Energy’s, Consumers’, or any of their affiliates’ businesses or financial results

  • factors affecting, disrupting, interrupting, or otherwise impacting CMS Energy’s or Consumers’ facilities, utility infrastructure, operations, or backup systems, such as costs and availability of personnel, equipment, and materials; weather and climate, including catastrophic weather-related damage and extreme temperatures; natural disasters; fires; smoke; scheduled or unscheduled equipment outages; maintenance or repairs; contractor performance; environmental incidents; failures of equipment or materials; electric transmission and distribution or gas pipeline system constraints; interconnection requirements; political and social unrest; general strikes; the government and/or paramilitary response to political or social events; changes in trade policies, regulations, or tariffs; accidents; explosions; physical disasters; global pandemics; cyber incidents; physical or cyber attacks; vandalism; war or terrorism; and the ability to obtain or maintain insurance coverage for these events

  • the ability of CMS Energy and Consumers to execute cost-reduction strategies and/or convert economic development opportunities

  • potentially adverse regulatory or legal interpretations or decisions regarding environmental matters, or delayed regulatory treatment or permitting decisions that are or could come before agencies such as EGLE, the EPA, FERC, and/or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and potential environmental remediation costs associated with these interpretations or decisions, including those that may affect Consumers’ coal ash management or routine maintenance, repair, and replacement classification under New Source Review, a construction-permitting program under the Clean Air Act

  • changes in energy markets, including availability, price, and seasonality of electric capacity and energy and the timing and extent of changes in commodity prices and availability and deliverability of coal, natural gas, natural gas liquids, electricity, oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, and certain related products

  • the price of CMS Energy common stock, the credit ratings of CMS Energy and Consumers, capital and financial market conditions, and the effect of these market conditions on CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ interest costs and access to the capital markets, including availability of financing to CMS Energy, Consumers, or any of their affiliates

  • the ability of CMS Energy and Consumers to execute their financing strategies

  • the investment performance of the assets of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ pension and benefit plans, the discount rates, mortality assumptions, and future medical costs used in calculating the plans’ obligations, and the resulting impact on future funding requirements

  • the impact of the economy, particularly in Michigan, and potential future volatility in the financial and credit markets on CMS Energy’s, Consumers’, or any of their affiliates’ revenues, ability to collect accounts receivable from customers, or cost and availability of capital

  • changes in the economic and financial viability of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ suppliers, customers, and other counterparties and the continued ability of these third parties, including those in bankruptcy, to meet their obligations to CMS Energy and Consumers

  • population changes in the geographic areas where CMS Energy and Consumers conduct business

  • national, regional, and local economic, competitive, and regulatory policies, conditions, and developments

  • loss of customer demand for electric generation supply to alternative electric suppliers, the creation of municipal utilities, increased use of self-generation including distributed generation, energy waste reduction, or energy storage

  • loss of customer demand for natural gas due to alternative technologies or fuels or electrification

  • the ability of Consumers to meet increased renewable energy demand due to customers seeking to meet their own sustainability goals in a timely and cost-efficient manner

  • the reputational or other impact on CMS Energy and Consumers of the failure to meet the renewable or clean energy standards required by the 2023 Energy Law or to achieve or make timely progress on their greenhouse gas reduction goals related to reducing their impact on climate change

  • adverse consequences of employee, director, or third‑party fraud or non‑compliance with codes of conduct or with laws or regulations

  • federal regulation of electric sales, including periodic re‑examination by federal regulators of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ market-based sales authorizations

  • any event, change, development, occurrence, or circumstance that could impact the implementation of the Clean Energy Plan, including any action by a regulatory authority or other third party to prohibit, delay, or impair the implementation of the Clean Energy Plan

  • the ability to meet increases in electric demand associated with data centers

  • the availability, cost, coverage, and terms of insurance, the stability of insurance providers, and the ability of Consumers to recover the costs of any insurance from customers

  • the effectiveness of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ risk management policies, procedures, and strategies, including strategies to hedge risk related to interest rates and future prices of electricity, natural gas, and other energy-related commodities

  • factors affecting development of electric generation projects, gas transmission, and gas and electric distribution infrastructure replacement, conversion, and expansion projects, including factors related to project site identification, construction material availability and pricing, tariffs, embargoes on equipment, supply chain disruptions, schedule delays, interconnection delays, availability of qualified construction personnel, permitting, acquisition of property rights, community opposition, environmental regulations, and government actions

  • changes or disruption in fuel supply, including but not limited to supplier bankruptcy and delivery disruptions

  • potential costs, lost revenues, reputational harm, or other consequences resulting from misappropriation of assets or sensitive information, corruption of data, or operational disruption in connection with a cyberattack or other cyber incident

  • potential disruption to, interruption or failure of, or other impacts on information technology backup or disaster recovery systems

  • technological developments in energy production, storage, delivery, usage, and metering

  • the ability to implement and integrate technology successfully, including artificial intelligence

  • the impact of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ integrated business software system and its effects on their operations, including utility customer billing and collections

  • adverse consequences resulting from any past, present, or future assertion of indemnity or warranty claims associated with assets and businesses previously owned by CMS Energy or Consumers, including claims resulting from attempts by foreign or domestic governments to assess taxes on or to impose environmental liability associated with past operations or transactions

  • the outcome, cost, and other effects of any legal or administrative claims, proceedings, investigations, or settlements

  • the reputational impact on CMS Energy and Consumers of operational incidents, violations of corporate policies, regulatory violations, inappropriate use of social media, and other events

  • restrictions imposed by various financing arrangements and regulatory requirements on the ability of Consumers and other subsidiaries of CMS Energy to transfer funds to CMS Energy in the form of cash dividends, loans, or advances

  • earnings volatility resulting from the application of fair value accounting to certain energy commodity contracts or interest rate contracts

  • changes in financial or regulatory accounting principles or policies

  • other matters that may be disclosed from time to time in CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ SEC filings, or in other public documents

All forward-looking statements should be considered in the context of the risk and other factors described above and as detailed from time to time in CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ SEC filings. For additional details regarding these and other uncertainties, see Item 1A. Risk Factors; Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Outlook; and Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data—Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 2, Regulatory Matters and Note 3, Contingencies and Commitments.

Part I

Next: Item 1. Business