Consumers Energy is adding another 100 megawatts of battery electric energy storage to its system, which the company said will bring the total to 400 megawatts.
The utility will buy the electricity from a new facility to be built by Voyager Energy Storage in Saline Township in Washtenaw County.
Sri Maddipati is Consumers' vice president of electric supply. He said storing energy in batteries helps maximize the rest of the electricity resources that are available in the system.
"As electricity is generated, during the day, either from solar or at night from wind, we can push it [to battery storage] to [use at] times when people are going to use it, which might be when they're at home or when it's really hot outside," he said.
Maddipati says the 400 megawatts of battery storage will be enough to provide about 5% of peak electricity demand. The battery facilities will recharge when there's excess solar or wind power being generated, he said.
The new facility will cost Consumers Energy about $400 million once it goes online in 2027, but Maddipati said customers will see cost reductions by then too.
Consumers Energy is one of Michigan Public's corporate sponsors.
