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                                                                     EXHIBIT (5)



                                October 4, 2000

CMS Energy Corporation
Fairlane Plaza South
330 Town Center Drive
Suite 1100
Dearborn, MI  48126

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         I am the Assistant General Counsel of CMS Energy Corporation, a
Michigan corporation (the "Company"), and have acted as such in connection with
the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") being
filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities
Act"), relating to the registration of $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount
of General Term Notes, Series F (the "Debt Securities"). Capitalized terms not
otherwise defined herein have the respective meanings specified in the
Registration Statement.

         In rendering this opinion, I have examined and relied upon a copy of
the Registration Statement. I have also examined, or have arranged for the
examination by an attorney or attorneys under my general supervision, originals,
or copies of originals certified to my satisfaction, of such agreements,
documents, certificates and other statements of governmental officials and other
instruments, and have examined such questions of law and have satisfied myself
as to such matters of fact, as I have considered relevant and necessary as a
basis for this opinion. I have assumed the authenticity of all documents
submitted to me as originals, the genuineness of all signatures, the legal
capacity of all natural persons and the conformity with the original documents
of any copies thereof submitted to me for examination.

         Based on the foregoing, it is my opinion that:

         1.    The Company is duly incorporated and validly existing under the
               laws of the State of Michigan.

         2.    The Indenture dated as of January 15, 1994, as supplemented (the
               "Indenture"), between the Company and the Chase Manhattan Bank, a
               New York banking corporation, as trustee ("Trustee"), has been
               duly authorized, executed and delivered, and the Company has the
               corporate power and authority to execute and deliver the Sixth
               Supplemental Indenture to the Indenture (the "Supplemental
               Indenture") between the Company and the Trustee, to be filed as
               Exhibit (4)(a)(vii) to the Registration Statement, under which
               the Debt Securities are to be issued, and to authorize and sell
               the Debt Securities.
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          3.   The Debt Securities will be legally issued and binding
               obligations of the Company (except to the extent enforceability
               may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency,
               reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer or other similar
               laws affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally and
               by the effect of general principles of equity, regardless of
               whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or
               at law) when: (i) the Registration Statement, as finally amended
               (including any necessary post-effective amendments), shall have
               become effective under the Securities Act and the Indenture
               (including any necessary post-effective amendments), shall have
               become effective under the Securities Act and the Indenture
               (including any necessary supplemental indentures) shall have been
               qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and
               duly executed and delivered by the Company and the Trustee; (ii)
               an appropriate Pricing Supplement with respect to the particular
               Debt Securities then being sold by the Company shall have been
               filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424 under the
               Securities Act; (iii) the Company's Board of Directors or a duly
               authorized committee or delegate thereof shall have taken final
               action authorizing the issuance and sale of the particular Debt
               Securities then being sold by the Company as contemplated by the
               Registration Statement and the Indenture; and (iv) the
               Supplemental Indenture under which the Debt Securities are to be
               issued shall have been duly authorized, executed and delivered
               and the particular Debt Securities then being sold by the Company
               shall have been duly executed and authenticated as provided in
               the Indenture and such resolutions, and shall have been duly
               delivered to the purchasers thereof against payment of the agreed
               consideration therefor.

         For purposes of this opinion, I have assumed that there will be no
changes in the laws currently applicable to the Company and that such laws will
be the only laws applicable to the Company.

         I do not find it necessary for the purposes of this opinion to cover,
and accordingly I express no opinion as to, the application of the securities or
blue sky laws of the various states to the sale of the Debt Securities.

         I am a member of the bar of the State of Michigan and I express no
opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Michigan and
the federal law of the United States of America.

         I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Company's Registration Statement on Form S-3 relating to the Debt Securities and
to all references to me included in or made a part of this Registration
Statement.

                                                     Very truly yours,

                                                     /s/ Michael D. VanHemert
                                                     ---------------------------
                                                     Michael D. VanHemert