Ludington
Ludington is a pumped-storage hydro plant in Mason County, Michigan, operated by Consumers Energy Co (MI). Among the 33 pumped-storage plants in the country it is the second-largest. It ranks third by nameplate capacity among Michigan’s 282 power plants.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
1,979 MW
2,180 MW net summer capacity
6 operable units
- Pumped-storage hydro1,979 MW100%
Unit by unit, 1973 to 2025
operating in 2025bar height follows unit size
Unit 1 Pumped-storage hydro, 330 MW, 1973
Unit 2 Pumped-storage hydro, 330 MW, 1973
Unit 3 Pumped-storage hydro, 330 MW, 1973
Unit 4 Pumped-storage hydro, 330 MW, 1973
Unit 5 Pumped-storage hydro, 330 MW, 1973
Unit 6 Pumped-storage hydro, 330 MW, 1973
Among Michigan’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Monroe (MI)3,293 MW
- 2Donald C Cook2,285 MW
- 3Ludingtonthis plant
- 4Midland Cogeneration Venture1,854 MW
- 5Belle River1,664 MW
Other rankings
- All US power plants
- 72nd of 14,286
- Plants in the MISO (Midcontinent) balancing area
- 6th of 2,383
- Plants run by Consumers Energy Co (MI)
- 1st of 28
- Biggest single unit, among Michigan’s plants
- 13th of 282
Operable units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pumped-storage hydro | 330 MW | 363 MW | 1973 | Operating |
| 2 | Pumped-storage hydro | 330 MW | 363 MW | 1973 | Operating |
| 3 | Pumped-storage hydro | 330 MW | 363 MW | 1973 | Operating |
| 4 | Pumped-storage hydro | 330 MW | 363 MW | 1973 | Operating |
| 5 | Pumped-storage hydro | 330 MW | 363 MW | 1973 | Operating |
| 6 | Pumped-storage hydro | 330 MW | 363 MW | 1973 | Operating |
Who owns it
Shares are weighted by the nameplate capacity of each unit an owner holds.
| Owner | Share of capacity |
|---|---|
| Consumers Energy Co (MI) | 51.0% |
| DTE Electric Company | 49.0% |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- MISO (Midcontinent)
- Reliability region
- ReliabilityFirst
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 345 kV
- Water source
- Lake Michigan
- Nearest town on record
- Ludington
- Operator type
- Utility
- Coordinates
- 43.894°N, 86.445°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Power LP | Natural gas | 138 MW | 3.1 mi north |
| Lake Winds Energy Park | Wind | 101 MW | 5.7 mi east |
| Hart | Oil and petroleum | 5.1 MW | 13.7 mi south |
| PCA, Filer City Mill | Natural gas | 19.5 MW | 23.4 mi north |
| TES Filer City Station | Coal | 70 MW | 23.6 mi north |
| Macbeth Solar | Solar | 20 MW | 31.9 mi south |
| C W Tippy | Hydroelectric | 20.1 MW | 35.6 mi northeast |
| Fremont Community Digester, LLC | Biomass and waste | 5.8 MW | 38.1 mi southeast |