Consumers Energy Chooses Weather Technology Provider

Consumers Energy, one of Michigan’s largest utilities, has selected Schneider Electric as its primary provider of weather information. Schneider Electric’s location-specific weather data will help Consumers Energy improve outage and restoration management by quickly identifying when and where to assemble crews.

Because weather can have the single largest external impact on the power grid, Consumers Energy will rely on Schneider Electric’s weather forecasts to help predict customer demand more accurately and to help improve service reliability during severe weather events. Schneider Electric’s historical and real-time weather and lightning strike data (provided in partnership with Vaisala) provides Consumers Energy with precise information to assist in managing load, outages and restoration during arctic cold, heat waves or rapidly changing weather events.

The company has 24/7 access to Schneider Electric’s weather experts for questions regarding electric load forecast models, observations and forecasts delivered 15 days in advance. Consumers Energy is choosing the same weather provider as 70 percent of the country’s major investor-owned utilities (IOU) and co-ops, who use Schneider Electric’s forecasts to enhance their smart grid solutions.