YNTR: How a Utility’s Counterintuitive Strategy Might Fuel a Greener Future

You Need to Read the Wall Street Journal’s How a Utility’s Counterintuitive Strategy Might Fuel a Greener Future by Katherine Blunt

For most businesses, finding creative ways to sell less product wouldn’t make sense. For this Michigan Utility, smart meters that track and manage usage help match demand with supply so they can transition to power sources that cost less to operate. They plan to reach 50% renewables by 2040 using solar and wind power generation that will save them “hundreds of millions of dollars a year on fuel expenses.” Networking their smart meters with in home smart devices will let the utility coordinate consumption to align more closely with generation.

Consumers Energy aims to slash carbon emissions and replace traditional coal-fired plants with solar farms by betting on smarter energy consumption

Patti Poppe, the head of a Michigan utility that serves 6.7 million people, wanted to get greener, faster. Four years ago, Consumers Energy relied on power plants that burn fossil fuels for 74% of its electricity—until staff realized the utility could nearly eliminate its dependence on coal and natural gas, thanks to the plunging costs of renewable energy. 

Bring your loved ones together this holiday season to give #GiftsToTheFuture. Each day on the way to welcoming the new year, we'll share a little something you can do to help make it (and many years that follow) better for those you love. enough.co/gifts-to-the-future

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