Jerrod KingeryA Michigan power provider has been awarded a federal grant to implement real-time visibility into power usage in order to help integrate electric vehicles (EV) into the state’s power grid.
Consumers Energy is receiving nearly $20 million from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program, which looks to modernize the nation’s electric grid, to roll out the new devices.
Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider, will also match the investment.
The nearly $40 million will be used to add artificial intelligence (AI) technology to 18,000 electric meters used by EV owners in Michigan.
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The meters will provide real-time data analytics and predictions to help better understand the impact EVs 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,” says 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.”
Consumers Energy says more than half of the devices will be placed in economically disadvantaged communities in order to better understand EV adoption and customize customer programs to meet those communities’ needs.
Photo by Michael Förtsch on Unsplash
