Consumers Energy announced an agreement today (June 24) that will add 100 megawatts of battery storage to their clean energy arsenal through a partnership with Jupiter Power. The agreement represents a significant milestone toward the company's goal of reaching 550 megawatts of storage capacity by 2040.
"Battery storage is a critical part of our Clean Energy Plan, improving efficiency and boosting reliability during the transition away from coal to renewable fuel sources such as solar and wind," said David Hicks, Consumers Energy vice president of clean energy development. "We look forward to partnering with Jupiter to meet this need as we continue the journey to achieve our ambitious clean energy goals."
Battery energy storage systems (BESS) store and distribute energy harnessed from renewable sources like wind and solar, allowing for more energy capture and reducing the overall cost of electricity. When used in concert with energy efficiency improvements, demand response and grid modernization work, BESS will accelerate the renewable energy transition without sacrificing affordability or a reliable grid.
"As an early investor in the development of battery energy storage projects in Michigan, Jupiter is thrilled to provide Consumers with cost-competitive energy storage solutions that help Consumers meet its storage and clean energy goals," said Sam Malin, Jupiter's Vice President of Origination. "Jupiter's long-term 100MW power purchase agreement with Consumers represents our investment in dispatchable battery energy storage in Michigan, complimenting the State's wind, solar, and traditional resources to deliver reliable power."
While Consumers Energy has plans to develop 75 megawatts of its own storage by 2027, the facility, to be built in partnership with Jupiter Power in Coldwater, will add to a growing number of storage systems already operational across the state, including ones in Kalamazoo, Cadillac, Grand Rapids and Standish.
Consumers Energy is Michigan's largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy's Clean Energy Plan calls for eliminating coal as an energy source by 2025, achieving net-zero carbon emissions and meeting 90 percent of customers' energy needs through clean sources, including wind and solar.
Jupiter is a leading energy storage infrastructure platform with deep trading, analytics, development, finance, operations, and construction capabilities and unparalleled intellectual property in dispatch optimization. The company is developing more than 11,000 MW of projects from California to Maine, and has offices in Austin and Houston, Texas, and Chicago, Illinois. For more information on Jupiter Power LLC, please visit our Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook pages or visit www.jupiterpower.io.
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to ConsumersEnergy.com.
