Clean. Reliable. Affordable.
It's the sweet spot all of us electric customers seek. We want to use electricity that doesn't damage our bank accounts, that's there when we need it, and that's releasing as little pollution as possible.
Consumers Energy has hit that triple whammy with its new summer electricity pricing. The Michigan Environmental Council has long advocated for the new rate in its utility company interventions, and, in our latest Capitol Connection webinar, we'll explain why.
What's the new rate? Consumers customers can expect to pay a bit more for their electricity on weekday summer afternoons, but they can now take advantage of lower-cost electricity for the rest of the week.
Why the change? Summer days are when energy use is often at its highest. That puts a strain on utility companies, which must boot up fossil fuel plants to meet demand.
The new summer rate incentivizes using high-energy products – like laundry units and dishwashers – in the mornings and evenings instead of afternoons and lowers the amount of electricity at peak times. That, in turn, allows utility companies to avoid building or operating power plants utilized only a few days or weeks each summer. Air pollution drops, and so do bills.
Greg Stevenson, Consumers' director of customer pricing projects, knows the rate change will benefit customers, environment and company. That's because he and his team have spent years studying methodologies, running a pilot program and engaging with Consumers customers to construct this new rate plan.
MEC President & CEO Conan Smith and MEC energy program director Charlotte Jameson will talk to Greg in our latest Capitol Connection webinar about how the summer peak rate came about and how it fits into the company's larger, bold clean energy vision.
Generously sponsored by:
Steve and Judy Dobson
