CONSUMERS ENERGY CO

Presented in the following table is CMS Energy’s long-term debt at December 31:

1 These unsecured obligations rank subordinate and junior in right of payment to all of CMS Energy’s existing and future senior indebtedness.

2 On June 1, 2030, and every five years thereafter, the notes will reset to an interest rate equal to the five-year treasury rate plus 4.116 percent.

3 On December 1, 2030, and every five years thereafter, the notes will reset to an interest rate equal to the five‑year treasury rate plus 2.900 percent.

Presented in the following table is Consumers’ long-term debt at December 31:

1 The variable-rate bonds bear interest quarterly at a rate of three-month SOFR minus 0.038 percent, subject to a zero-percent floor. At December 31, 2023, the interest rates were 5.346 percent for bonds due September 2069,5.329 percent for bonds due May 2070, and 5.368 percent for bonds due October 2070. The interest rate for all variable-rate bonds at December 31, 2022 waszero percent. The holders of these variable-rate bonds may put them to Consumers for redemption on certain dates prior to their stated maturity, including dates within one year of December 31, 2023.

2 The interest rate on these tax-exempt revenue bonds will reset on October 8, 2026.

3 The interest rate on these tax‑exempt revenue bonds will reset on October 1, 2024.

4 The weighted-average interest rate for Consumers’ securitization bonds issued through its subsidiary, Consumers 2014 Securitization Funding, was 3.421 percent at December 31, 2023 and 3.343 percent at December 31, 2022.

5 Principal and interest payments are made semiannually.

6 The weighted-average interest rate for Consumers’ securitization bonds issued through its subsidiary, Consumers 2023 Securitization Funding, was 5.342 percent at December 31, 2023.

7 Long-term debt – related parties reflects Consumers’ outstanding debt held by its parent as a result of CMS Energy’s repurchase of Consumers’ first mortgage bonds.

CMS Energy’s Purchase of Consumers’ First Mortgage Bonds: Presented in the following table is Consumers’ long-term debt—related parties at December 31, 2023:

During 2023, CMS Energy purchased these Consumers’ first mortgage bonds for $293 million. On a consolidated basis, CMS Energy’s repurchase of Consumers’ first mortgage bonds was accounted for as a debt extinguishment and resulted in a pre-tax gain of $131 million. Interest expense related to the repurchased bonds was $5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

Financings: Presented in the following table is a summary of major long-term debt issuances during 2023:

1 In December 2022, a subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy entered into a $185 million unsecured term loan credit agreement. Under this credit agreement, a subsidiary of NorthStar Clean Energy borrowed $85 million in 2023.

2 For additional details on the securitization, see Note 2, Regulatory Matters— Securitized Costs.

In January 2024, Consumers issued $600 million of first mortgage bonds that mature in May 2029 and bear interest at a rate of 4.600 percent. The proceeds of the bonds will be used for general corporate purposes.

Issuance of Convertible Senior Notes: In May 2023, CMS Energy issued an aggregate principal amount of $800 million convertible senior notes that bear an interest rate of 3.375 percent and mature in May 2028 unless redeemed, repurchased, or converted earlier. Unamortized debt costs associated with this issuance were $12 million at December 31, 2023. The convertible senior notes rank equal in right of payment to any of CMS Energy’s unsecured indebtedness that is not subordinated. There are no sinking fund requirements for the notes.

Holders of the convertible senior notes may convert their notes at their option in accordance with the conditions outlined in the related indenture. CMS Energy will settle conversions of the notes by paying cash up to the aggregate principal amount of the notes to be converted and paying or delivering, as the case may be, cash, shares of CMS Energy common stock, or a combination of cash and shares of CMS Energy common stock, at its election, in respect of the remainder, if any, of its conversion obligation in excess of the aggregate principal amount of the notes being converted. The conversion rate will be subject to adjustment for anti-dilutive events and fundamental change and redemption provisions as described in the related indenture. At December 31, 2023, the conversion price for the notes was $73.97 per share of common stock.

CMS Energy may redeem for cash all or any portion of the notes, at its option, on or after May 6, 2026 if the last reported sale price of its common stock has been at least 130 percent of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days during any 30 consecutive trading day period. Holders of the convertible senior notes may require CMS Energy to repurchase for cash all or any portion of their notes if a fundamental change, as outlined in the related indenture, occurs. In both cases, CMS Energy will redeem or repurchase the notes at a price equal to 100 percent of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed or repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest.

Retirements: Presented in the following table is a summary of major long-term debt retirements during 2023:

In January 2024, CMS Energy retired $250 million of its senior notes bearing an interest rate of 3.875 percent and an original maturity date of March 2024.

Regulatory Authorization for Financings: Consumers is required to maintain FERC authorization for financings. Its current authorization ends on March 31, 2025. Any long-term issuances during the authorization period are exempt from FERC’s competitive bidding and negotiated placement requirements.

First Mortgage Bonds: Consumers secures its first mortgage bonds by a mortgage and lien on substantially all of its property. Consumers’ ability to issue first mortgage bonds is restricted by certain provisions in the First Mortgage Bond Indenture and the need for regulatory approvals under federal law. Restrictive issuance provisions in the First Mortgage Bond Indenture include achieving a two‑times interest coverage ratio and having sufficient unfunded net property additions.

Securitization Bonds: Certain regulatory assets held by Consumers’ subsidiaries, Consumers 2014 Securitization Funding and Consumers 2023 Securitization Funding, collateralize Consumers’ securitization bonds. Consumers 2014 Securitization Funding and Consumers 2023 Securitization Funding are distinct subsidiaries. The bondholders of each entity have no recourse to the other’s assets or the assets of Consumers. Consumers collects securitization surcharges to cover the principal and interest on the bonds as well as certain other qualified costs. The surcharges collected by Consumers on behalf of each entity are remitted to that subsidiary’s account and are not available to creditors of Consumers or creditors of Consumers’ affiliates other than the subsidiary that issued the bonds.

Debt Maturities: At December 31, 2023, the aggregate annual maturities for long-term debt for the next five years, based on stated maturities or earlier put dates, were:

Credit Facilities: The following credit facilities with banks were available at December 31, 2023:

1 There wereno borrowings under this facility during the year ended December 31, 2023.

2 This letter of credit facility is available to Aviator Wind Equity Holdings. For more information regarding Aviator Wind Equity Holdings, see Note 18, Variable Interest Entities.

3 Obligations under these facilities are secured by first mortgage bonds of Consumers. There wereno borrowings under these facilities during the year ended December 31, 2023.

Short-term Borrowings: Under Consumers’ commercial paper program, Consumers may issue, in one or more placements, investment-grade commercial paper notes with maturities of up to 365 days at market interest rates. These issuances are supported by Consumers’ revolving credit facilities and may have an aggregate principal amount outstanding of up to $500 million. While the amount of outstanding commercial paper does not reduce the available capacity of the revolving credit facilities, Consumers does not intend to issue commercial paper in an amount exceeding the available capacity of the facilities. At December 31, 2023, there were $93 million of commercial paper notes outstanding under this program with a weighted-average annual interest rate of 5.609 percent, recorded as current notes payable on the consolidated balance sheets of CMS Energy and Consumers.

In December 2023, Consumers renewed a short-term credit agreement with CMS Energy, permitting Consumers to borrow up to $500 million at an interest rate of the prior month’s average one-month Term SOFR minus 0.100 percent. At December 31, 2023, there wereno outstanding borrowings under the agreement.

Consumers’ Supplier Financing Program: Under a supplier financing program, Consumers agrees to pay a bank, acting as its payment agent, the stated amount of confirmed invoices from participating suppliers on the original maturity dates of the invoices. The supplier invoices that have been confirmed as valid under the program require payment in full within 60 days of the invoice date. Consumers does not provide collateral or a guarantee to the bank in support of its payment obligations under the agreement, nor does it pay a fee for the service. Consumers or the bank may terminate the supplier financing program agreement upon 30 days prior written notice to the other party. There wereno trade payables outstanding under the program in accounts payable on CMS Energy’s and Consumers’ consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2023, and less than $1 million at December 31, 2022.

Dividend Restrictions: At December 31, 2023, payment of dividends by CMS Energy on its common stock was limited to $7.3 billion under provisions of the Michigan Business Corporation Act of 1972.

Under the provisions of its articles of incorporation, at December 31, 2023, Consumers had $2.1 billion of unrestricted retained earnings available to pay dividends on its common stock to CMS Energy. Provisions of the Federal Power Act and the Natural Gas Act appear to restrict dividends payable by Consumers to the amount of Consumers’ retained earnings. Several decisions from FERC suggest that, under a variety of circumstances, dividends from Consumers on its common stock would not be limited to amounts in Consumers’ retained earnings. Any decision by Consumers to pay dividends on its common stock in excess of retained earnings would be based on specific facts and circumstances and would be subject to a formal regulatory filing process.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, Consumers paid $695 million in dividends on its common stock to CMS Energy.

Capitalization: The authorized capital stock of CMS Energy consists of:

•350 million shares of CMS Energy Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

•10 million shares of CMS Energy Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share

Issuance of Common Stock: In 2023, CMS Energy entered into an equity offering program under which it may sell shares of its common stock having an aggregate sales price of up to $1 billion in privately negotiated transactions, in “at the market” offerings, or through forward sales transactions. There have been no sales of securities under this program.

In November 2023, CMS Energy partially settled a forward contract, issued under its previous equity offering program, by issuing shares of its common stock at a weighted-average price of $68.05 per share, resulting in net proceeds of $178 million.

Presented in the following table are details of CMS Energy’s forward sales contracts under its equity offering program at December 31, 2023:

Under these contracts, CMS Energy may either settle physically by issuing shares of its common stock at the then-applicable forward sale price specified by the agreement or settle net by delivering or receiving cash or shares. CMS Energy may settle the contracts at any time through their maturity dates, and presently intends to physically settle the contracts by delivering shares of its common stock.

The initial forward price in the forward equity sale contracts includes a deduction for commissions and will be adjusted on a daily basis over the term based on an interest rate factor and decreased on certain dates by certain predetermined amounts to reflect expected dividend payments. No amounts are recorded on CMS Energy’s consolidated balance sheets until settlements of the forward equity sale contracts occur. If CMS Energy had elected to net share settle or net cash settle the contracts as of December 31, 2023, CMS Energy would not have been required to deliver shares or pay cash. In January 2024, CMS Energy settled the remaining forward sale contracts issued under its previous equity offering program by issuing shares at a weighted average price of $70.31 per share, resulting in net proceeds of $266 million.

Preferred Stock: CMS Energy’s Series C preferred stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CMS PRC. Depositary shares represent a 1/1000th interest in a share of its Series C preferred stock. The Series C preferred stock has no maturity or mandatory redemption date and is not redeemable at the option of the holders. CMS Energy may, at its option, redeem the Series C preferred stock, in whole or in part, at any time on or after July 15, 2026. The Series C preferred stock ranks senior to CMS Energy’s common stock with respect to dividend rights and distribution rights upon liquidation. Presented in the following table are details of CMS Energy’s Series C preferred stock at December 31, 2023 and 2022:

Preferred Stock of Subsidiary: Consumers’ preferred stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CMS-PB. Presented in the following table are details of Consumers’ preferred stock at December 31, 2023 and 2022: