The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted a hot, rainy summer for Michigan in 2025. And so far, the prediction is spot on.
Consumers Energy’s Trisha Bloembergen said the utility has the utility has enough electricity to power more fans and AC units.
“We are continuously monitoring the weather and we have adequate resources so that if we need to ramp up our resources for these periods of high energy use, we're able to. But that also means that we're able to ramp down our resources if we don't need to use all of them.”
Bloembergen said no matter how hot it gets, she's confident Consumers' baseload of natural gas, supplemented by renewables like wind and solar, will provide enough energy to meet the demand this summer.
"I like to compare it to finances," she said. "You want to have a diversified portfolio."
Bloembergen said customers can help save energy and money by turning the thermostat up to 78-degrees when not at home.
“A few other recommendations that cost nothing would be to close your curtains when that sun is beaming in. That'll help to reduce the amount of excess heat coming into your homes.”
But she said, fresh air helps. So open the windows at night and in the early morning when outside temperatures drop.
Finally, avoid running major appliances like dishwashers and washing machines during the peak hours of 2 PM to 7 PM, Monday through Friday.
“If customers are able to shift their energy usage for those off-peak hours, to save themselves a little bit of money, as well as to encourage the reliability and sustainability of our energy grid, it really will benefit all of us.”
