Consumers Energy Selected by U.S. Department of Energy for Nearly $20 Million to Add Real-Time Visibility to Grid

Friday, October 18, 2024

18,000 Devices Could Measure Impact of Electric Vehicles

The U.S. Department of Energy today selected Consumers Energy to receive a nearly $20 million financial assistance award to deploy new technology and provide real-time visibility into the grid and help integrate electric vehicles into Michigan’s electric grid. The commitment will be matched by $20 million from Consumers Energy as it powers Michigan’s EV transformation.

Consumers Energy will use the nearly $40 million to add artificial intelligence-powered modules to 18,000 electric meters that are used by Michigan EV owners, providing real-time data analytics and predictions to better understand the impact these vehicles have on the electric grid.

“Consumers Energy is building a stronger grid and a smarter one that will seamlessly power the next generation of clean vehicles,” said Lauren Snyder, Consumers Energy’s vice president of customer experience. “This allows us to quickly put the latest in technology to work, as we accommodate growing numbers of EVs parked in driveways across our state.”

The new federal funding comes through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program, which supports the modernization of the nation’s electric grid.

Consumers Energy is partnering with AI technology company Utilidata to deploy custom NVIDIA modules, bringing cutting edge AI capabilities to the electric grid. Utilidata manufactures in Michigan at their innovation lab in Ann Arbor and in collaboration with Brooks Utility Products in Novi.    

The effort will place over half of the devices in economically disadvantaged communities, enabling Consumers Energy to better understand EV adoption and customize customer programs to meet those communities’ needs.

Consumers Energy also is partnering with General Motors, the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, the Electric Power Research Institute and others to deploy AI-enabled grid-edge analytics.

"Utilidata is proud to expand our presence in Michigan by partnering with industry leader Consumers Energy," said Utilidata President and Chief Operating Officer Jess Melanson. " Utilidata's distributed AI technology will equip Consumers Energy with the tools needed to integrate more distributed energy resources and ensure the electric grid is efficient and reliable for their customers"

Consumers Energy is making EV ownership more affordable and convenient wherever people drive their vehicles in Michigan. Electric vehicles will be powered by an electric grid that is moving fast to become carbon neutral.

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy’s Clean Energy Plan calls for eliminating coal as an energy source in 2025, achieving net-zero carbon emissions and meeting 90% of customers’ energy needs through clean sources, including wind and solar.

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Media Contacts: Brian Wheeler, 517-740-1545, or Katie Carey, 517-740-1739