Consumers Energy said it expects to power 1,500 new fast charging locations for electric vehicles by the end of the decade.
The forecast is part of Consumers Energy’s Transportation Electrification Plan that it is filing with state regulators. In the report, the energy provider shared successes stories of residential and business EV programs, vehicle charging at night to support the grid – and offered a plan for new rebates for battery-powered public EV chargers.
“Despite some of the naysayers in the news lately, the trends in EV growth are unmistakable,” said Lauren Snyder, Consumers Energy’s vice president of customer experience. “EV numbers in Michigan have tripled since the end of 2020, and we’re seeing strong signs growth will continue.”
Consumers Energy has provided over 135 rebates for locations for public fast chargers that can fully power an EV’s battery in less than half an hour. The energy provider expects over 1,500 locations, each with four or more fast chargers, will be built over the rest of this decade as EV numbers climb.
To support that growth, Snyder said Consumers Energy will start offering rebates next year for the next generation of fast chargers – ones that are powered by on-site batteries. These are meant to allow chargers to be installed more quickly, and they will draw power from the electric grid overnight.
Over 90% of Consumers Energy customers’ EV charging takes place outside of peak afternoon times, the company said.
“We know electric vehicles are good for the planet and they’re a good experience for drivers,” Snyder said. “We also know we’re taking the right steps to speed up Michigan’s EV transformation in a way that helps the grid and lowers costs for everyone. Whether you drive an EV or not, you come out ahead.”
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. It has been busy this year, with plans to invest nearly $24 million in smart technology to prevent power outages and keep the lights on for customers. Nearly 3,000 line sensors – the most that Consumers Energy has ever installed in a year – and over 100 automatic transfer reclosers (ATRs) are being deployed throughout Michigan.