A smoother driving experience in Monroe County? Not to pat ourselves on the back too much but… you’re welcome! 

With the help of programs like PowerMI Drive, lighting and control, and HVAC rebates, Erie Township has extra money to spend on infrastructure improvements.  

Some of the unexpected funds will help pave and repair roads, while others will go toward upgraded sewer and water extensions.  

What does this mean for you? Well, it’s one more way Michigan communities can count on us.  

“Anytime you can save money somewhere and you can reapply it somewhere else to benefit the community, that’s always a plus,” said Mike Grodi, Erie Township Supervisor. “And when you can work with a partner like Consumers Energy to save money, it’s awesome. You know when you reach out, they will respond right away. We will always count on Consumers Energy to get the job done.”

An A-plus for Reliability

Energy savings isn’t all we have to offer. Improving energy reliability and reducing the number of outages is at the top of our to-do list for 2025 and beyond. And Monroe County is already seeing the benefits. 

“When it comes to reliability here, I’d give Consumers Energy an A-plus,” Grodi said. “They have really stepped up to the plate for us.”

Some recent Monroe County projects include:

  • Installation of 54 line sensors in Ottawa Lake, Temperance and Erie over the last three years. These sensors assist in fault location and identification, resulting in fewer and shorter outages. We have plans to install an additional 120 sensors in 2025. 
  • Installation of three sets of Automatic Transfer Reclosers (ATRs) in Lambertville last year. These transfer load between the Jeffs Road and Lambertville substations to minimize outage impact and duration. In 2025, we’ll install three additional ATRs on Jackman substation in Temperance.
  • Installation of over 600 line fuses in the last three years to reduce the number of customers that are impacted by a fault. 
  • Upgrades for 11 substations in the South Monroe region to allow for real time data monitoring and remote device operation. 
  • Reconstruction of a one-mile section of line in 2023 to serve a large business facility in Monroe Township.
  • Replacement of 1,100 feet of underground cable in the Bedford Park Center Industrial Park in Temperance to improve reliability and provide more capacity.
  • Reconstruction of the Erie substation that feeds Luna Pier in 2022 to replace outdated equipment and add additional capacity for customer loads in the area.

Attracting and Expanding Business is Key

Having a stronger infrastructure with a more resilient grid increases economic development opportunities. That’s where Sean Strube comes in.  

Strube, vice president of Economic Development for Monroe County, works with our team to attract new businesses of all sizes to the region while helping existing manufacturers expand.

“Having large companies coming in Monroe County is very important,” Strube said. “It helps us bolster our tax base, creates sustainability through job creation and, continuous, capital investment, increasing capital investment in our county, which helps us futureproof our community.” 

Strube said he appreciates our assistance in helping recruit and retain businesses. Working together has produced thousands of jobs for the region, including a recent investment for a Fortune 500 company. 

“They help us bring our goals to reality. It’s very important having them by our side all the time,” Strube said. “Whenever I call, their economic development team answers, makes it quick and easy for me to identify a problem and find a solution. We know we can always count on the reliability of Consumers Energy to have the power we need to thrive in Monroe County.”