Cliffs changes electricity suppliers

Cliffs Natural Resources is changing electricity suppliers for the Empire and Tilden Mines in Marquette County.

Starting September 1st, Cliffs will no longer buy the power for the mines from WE Energies and its Presque Isle Power Plant in Marquette.

It’ll use Integrys Energy Services of Chicago as the power supplier instead.

Cliffs spokesman Dale Hemmila tells ABC 10 that the decision is strictly a cost-cutting move. The change could save the company tens of millions of dollars.

He says Cliffs had been looking into the possibility of switching suppliers for quite some time, but he says the change couldn’t happen until Integrys decided to come on board, which it recently did.

Hemmila says the switch has nothing to do with the impending closure of the Empire Mine, which is scheduled for next year.