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Cover and table of contents

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

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

For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2023

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 NumberRegistrant; State of Incorporation; Address; and Telephone NumberIRS Employer Identification No.
1-9513CMS ENERGY CORPORATION38-2726431

(A Michigan Corporation)

One Energy Plaza, Jackson, Michigan 49201

(517) 788‑0550

1-5611CONSUMERS 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
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 is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b‑2 of the Exchange Act).
CMS Energy Corporation:Yes☐No☒Consumers Energy Company:Yes☐No☒
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock at July 10, 2023:
CMS Energy Corporation:
CMS Energy Corporation Common Stock, $0.01 par value291,726,672
Consumers Energy Company:
Consumers Common Stock, $10 par value, privately held by CMS Energy Corporation84,108,789

CMS Energy Corporation

Consumers Energy Company

Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q to the Securities and Exchange Commission for the Period Ended June 30, 2023

Table of Contents

Glossary2
Filing Format9
Available Information9
Forward-looking Statements and Information9
Part I—Financial Information13
Item 1.Financial Statements13
Item 2.Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations84
Item 3.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk84
Item 4.Controls and Procedures84
Part II—Other Information85
Item 1.Legal Proceedings85
Item 1A.Risk Factors85
Item 2.Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds85
Item 3.Defaults Upon Senior Securities86
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures86
Item 5.Other Information86
Item 6.Exhibits87
Signatures89

Glossary

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

2016 Energy Law
Michigan’s Public Acts 341 and 342 of 2016
2022 Form 10‑K
Each of CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the year ended December 31, 2022
3G
Third generation technology
4G
Fourth generation technology
ABATE
Association of Businesses Advocating Tariff Equity
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
CCR
Coal combustion residual
CEO
Chief Executive Officer
CERCLA
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended
CFO
Chief Financial Officer
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 Energy
CMS Energy Corporation and its consolidated subsidiaries, unless otherwise noted; the parent of Consumers and 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
Covert Generating Facility
A 1,200-MW natural gas-fueled generating unit 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 Plans
Defined benefit pension plans of CMS Energy and Consumers, including certain present and former affiliates and subsidiaries
DB SERP
Defined Benefit 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
EGLE
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act of 1973
energy waste reduction
The reduction of energy consumption through energy efficiency and demand-side energy conservation, as established under the 2016 Energy Law
EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
EPS
Earnings per share
Exchange Act
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Federal Power Act
Federal Power Act of 1920
FERC
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
FTR
Financial transmission right
GAAP
U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
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
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
IRS
Internal Revenue Service
kWh
Kilowatt-hour, a unit of energy equal to one thousand watt-hours
LIBOR
London Interbank Offered Rate
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
MD&A
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
MGP
Manufactured gas plant
Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918
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
MW
Megawatt, a unit of power equal to one million watts
NAAQS
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Natural Gas Act
Natural Gas Act of 1938
Newport Solar Holdings
Newport Solar Holdings III, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Grand River Solar, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy
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
PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl
PPA
Power purchase agreement
PSCR
Power supply cost recovery
RCRA
Federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
REC
Renewable energy credit
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
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 and selected as the recommended alternative to replace LIBOR for dollar-denominated financial contracts by the Alternative Reference Rates Committee
TAES
Toshiba America Energy Systems Corporation, 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
VIE
Variable interest entity
Wolverine Power
Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, Inc., a non-affiliated company

Filing Format

This combined Form 10‑Q is separately filed by CMS Energy and Consumers. Information in this combined Form 10‑Q 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.

This report should be read in its entirety. No one section of this report deals with all aspects of the subject matter of this report. This report should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes and with MD&A included in the 2022 Form 10‑K.

Available Information

CMS Energy’s internet address is www.cmsenergy.com. CMS Energy routinely posts important information on its website and considers the Investor Relations section, www.cmsenergy.com/investor-relations, a channel of distribution for material information. Information contained on CMS Energy’s website is not incorporated herein.

Forward-looking Statements and Information

This Form 10‑Q 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 “might,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “forecasts,” “predicts,” “assumes,” 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 and geopolitical tensions with China, and the responses to these events, and related economic disruptions including, but not limited to, labor shortages, inflation, 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 or failure to receive timely regulatory orders affecting Consumers that are or could come before the MPSC, FERC, or other governmental authorities

  • changes in the performance of or regulations applicable to MISO, Michigan Electric Transmission Company, LLC (a non‑affiliated company), 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 environment, regulation or deregulation, reliability, health care reforms (including comprehensive health care reform enacted in 2010), 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 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 or regulations; accidents; explosions; physical disasters; global pandemics; cyber incidents; 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

  • 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 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 potential effects on the credit and capital markets of the transition from LIBOR to an alternative reference interest rate, including SOFR, which may perform differently than LIBOR and could result in increased interest rate expense

  • 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, 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

  • restricted ability to construct natural gas infrastructure due to environmental regulations or other governmental action

  • 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 achieve 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 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 pricing, schedule delays, availability of qualified construction personnel, permitting, acquisition of property rights, community opposition, and government approvals

  • 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 technology successfully

  • 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 (e.g., the adoption of the hypothetical liquidation at book value method of accounting for certain non‑regulated renewable energy projects)

  • 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 Part I—Item 1. Financial Statements—MD&A—Outlook and Notes to the Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements—Note 1, Regulatory Matters and Note 2, Contingencies and Commitments; and Part I—Item 1A. Risk Factors in the 2022 Form 10‑K.

Part I—Financial Information

Next: Item 1. Financial Statements