Consumers Energy

Consumers Energy Debuts New Technology to Help Monitor Power Lines, Equipment, Wind Turbines

Consumers Energy launched an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) near a Jackson County electric substation to help determine whether the emerging technology can improve how the company serves Michigan residents. Consumers Energy is the fourth energy company in the U.S. and the first in Michigan, to receive approval for UAV use from the Federal Aviation Administration. The UAV is being evaluated on its performance at inspecting wind turbines and above-ground utility equipment such as poles and transformers.

Consumers Energy Selects Accenture to Deploy New Ventyx Digital Platform

Consumers Energy selected Accenture to deploy new mobile workforce management (MWFM) software from Ventyx, an ABB company, to help field workers improve safety, productivity and customer experience. Accenture will implement the latest release of Service Suite with optimized, automated dispatching, for schedulers, dispatchers, field crews and supervisors. This will replace Consumers Energy's legacy mobile workforce management system.

People (February 2014)

Nick Akins becomes chairman of AEP board; Dominion names Diane Leopold president of Dominion Energy, and Robert Blue president of Virginia Power; Leila Vespoli becomes chief legal officer at FirstEnergy; PG&E promotes Gregg Lemler to v.p. of electric transmission; plus personnel changes at Consumers Energy, Xcel, Southern Nuclear, ITC, CenterPoint, and others.

People (January 2014)

Idaho Power names Darrel Anderson CEO, succeeding LaMont Keen, and also promotes Steven Keen to CFO and treasurer; DTE names Dave Meador vice chairman and chief administrative officer; former FCC Chairman William Kennard joins Duke Energy board of directors; plus executive appointments at Southern Company, Dominion, and others.

Digest

Duke Energy Renewables begins construction on 5-MW solar project in North Carolina; Duke and Integrys partner with Canadian Solar and Community Energy Solar on 3-MW PV project; First Wind contracts for 333 MW in Massachusetts; EDF Renewable Energy buys into 20-MW anaerobic digester plant; AEP to retire Tanners Creek 4 coal plant; Opelika Power Services selects Tantalus for fiber-based triple-play system; ABB wins substation contract in Brazil and commissions offshore wind transmission link in Europe; Arista Power to develop microgrid system for U.S. Army facility; plus announcements and contracts from Standard Solar, ComEd, British Gas, Tenaska, and others.

Transactions (October 2013)

Constellation and EdF transfer nuclear licenses to Exelon for $400 million; NRG closes $244 million acquisition of Gregory cogen plant in Texas; Vivint Solar secures $200 million for rooftop solar leases; Virginia Power floats $585 million in bonds; Southern Company issues $700 million; plus equity deals totaling $844 million and debt issues totaling $3.635 billion.

Five Years Later

Wall Street is back in business. What’s next for utility finance?

When Lehman Brothers went bankrupt in September 2008, it marked the beginning of a financial crisis. By most accounts, the utility industry has been a picture of stability through tumultuous times. The view from Wall Street remains bullish – despite some reasons for concern.

Consumers Energy Contracts Barton Malow for New 105-MW Wind Power Park

Consumers Energy signed a contract with Barton Malow Company for engineering, procurement and construction services at its $255 million Cross Winds Energy Park, a 105-MW wind farm in Tuscola County, Michigan. The contract is subject to approval by the Michigan Public Service Commission. The contract includes designing, engineering and constructing the park's turbine foundations, access roads, an operations and maintenance building; erecting the park's 62 wind turbines; and building the infrastructure that connects the turbines to the electrical grid.

Digest

ComEd selects GE for 4 million smart meters; Duquesne contracts Itron for 625,000 smart meters; Consumers Energy plans 700-MW combined-cycle plant; Phoenix Solar contracts for 39-MW PV plant; NRG starts operation at two 20-MW PV plants in California; Edison files suit against Mitsubishi for SONGS defects; FirstEnergy plans 2 GW of coal-plant shutdowns; FERC approves PacifiCorp tie-in with Cal ISO; PSEG commissions EV-charging facilities; plus announcements and contracts involving Toshiba, Direct Energy, Alstom, and others.

Consumers Energy Submits Plan to Build New Natural Gas Plant in Michigan

Consumers Energy filed for approval of a certificate of necessity with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) for its new natural gas plant in Genesee County. The certificate of necessity filing, allowed for under Michigan's energy reform law, provides Consumers Energy's comprehensive analysis for the 700-MW natural gas plant planned for Thetford Township, about 20 miles northeast of Flint.  The review process for the filing is expected to take nine months.