Consumers Energy Profile
By
Jul 9, 2009 - 11:59:27 AM

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www.consumersenergy.com   Territory:  275 cities and villages in 68 counties in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula Headquarters:  Jackson, MI   CEO: David W. Joos President & COO: John Russell . Employees: 7,970   Ownership: CMS Energy   Financials: ·  Trades on New York Stock Exchange (CMS) ·  $14.9 billion in assets as of Dec. 31, 2008   Assets ·  4,623 miles transmission ·  65,436 miles distribution ·  5,673 MW regulated generation   Read more   Chicago Tribune: Project turns landfill gas into energy in Bay Co.   Detroit Free Press Utilities unveil energy-saving push for consumers   The Detroit News ‘Smart’ meters help electrical grids get connected

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s second-largest electric and natural gas utility.

It provides 5,673 MW of electric service to 1.8 million customers and natural gas to 1.7 million. Electrical generation is primarily from coal- and oil-fired plants. The utility expects to spend $6.4 billion in the next five years for energy efficiency, renewable energy, environmental and customer service enhancements, and new power generation.

 

Smart Grid

 

In November 2008 Consumers signed an agreement with IBM to help plan, deploy and test an AMI and field pilot network. It is also working with SAP and announced plans to integrate SAP’s new AMI module with its existing SAP for Utilities software, which it installed in July 2008. Consumers’ AMI pilot project will roll out over the next year. By 2015, the utility anticipates converting 3.5 million electric and gas meters to smart technology. It plans to install close to 4,000 new meters daily starting in 2011.

 

Renewables

 

Michigan is requiring that renewable power comprise 10% of power generation by 2015. Currently renewable power (including hydroelectric, wind and biomass) account for 5% of CE’s power supply; it will increase it to 10% (an additional 900 MW) by building half the capacity and purchasing other half.

 

In late 2008, Consumers bought 36,000 acres of easements in Mason and Tuscola counties for future wind generation. In early 2009 the utility asked developers of small renewable energy projects to submit bids to supply 130,000 MW of renewable energy annually for up to 20 years and indicated plans to solicit for additional energy from larger renewable energy projects later in the year.

 

For vendors only …

 

Consumers has a reputation as a “sensible” utility and has been efficient with resources in creating its roadmap. However, as it moves from pilot to deployment with its advanced metering, its data integration problems will escalate quickly.

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