Proposal aims to bury more power lines,
strengthen grid and reduce wildfire risk
JACKSON,
Mich., May 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers
Energy today announced its proposal to begin implementing the
Reliability Roadmap, the company's ambitious plan for a smarter and
stronger electric grid. The proposal, which the company will file
with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) on Friday,
includes more buried power lines, infrastructure upgrades and grid
automation efforts to reduce the number and length of customer
power outages all while supporting union jobs across our service
territory.
Also included is a new wildfire risk mitigation plan, the first
such plan by an energy provider in the Midwest, which will protect
customers from increased wildfire risk if the National Weather
Service issues a "red flag warning." The plan includes prioritized
tree trimming, equipment upgrades in wildfire risk areas and more
effective monitoring.
"Wildfire risk in Michigan has
grown in recent years, due to changing weather patterns that result
in longer than usual dry periods throughout the state," said
Greg Salisbury, vice president of
electric distribution engineering. "Our new plan aims to
provide more reliable service to our customers while strengthening
and protecting the grid against destructive wildfire risk
throughout Consumers Energy's service territory."
The proposed plan also includes tactics to expand Consumers
Energy's goal to create a modern, stronger and more resilient power
grid:
- Burying 35 miles of additional power lines to provide better
protection from common outage causes, including lightning, high
winds, tornadoes, heavy snow, ice and falling tree
limbs.
- Infrastructure upgrades and proactive maintenance planning to
find, fix and prevent issues to help the grid's reliability and
lower costs.
"This proposal shows our strong commitment to delivering more
reliable, resilient energy for every customer," said
Chris Laird, vice president of
electric operations. "We will not let up until our grid is
stronger and smarter, and we'll do it in a way that keeps costs
down – preventative measures are 40 percent less expensive to fix
than responding to problems. We look forward to working with the
Michigan Public Service Commission and others to move ahead with
our plan."
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 knows job No. 1 is to keep the
lights on for customers. We are committed to delivering reliable,
clean, and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to
ConsumersEnergy.com.
Check out Consumers Energy on Social
Media
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SOURCE Consumers Energy
