In 2024, Gerome Sayles, Casey Ehlert and their colleagues put some major miles on their vehicles, while taking in many of Michigan’s sights and sounds through their roles in our Lab Services group. 

They travel thousands of miles to provide their family, friends and neighbors around the state with the reliable service they count on us for.

Part of their reliability work includes preventative maintenance on transformers and compliance testing at generation sites. Their reliability work takes them all over the state which can include major cities or rural areas where few travel and everything in between. 

Performing at a High Level 

Transformers need their oil maintained, just like a vehicle. Testing and analysis of the transformer oil can show how the transformer is operating, if maintenance is required, or other reliability indicators. Other reliability work includes environmental compliance of all Consumers Energy owned property, which includes air, gas, soil, water and waste. There are many pieces to the reliability puzzle and Sayles and Ehlert make sure all the puzzle pieces are performing at a high level.

“Our unique jobs allow us to travel around the state,” Sayles said. “And while there’s plenty of work to do, we immerse ourselves in the communities that we travel to. It’s the fun part of a job that can be challenging.”

Sayles recently visited Tawas to perform sampling at the Northeast Michigan substations. He sampled for the better part of two days, visiting 14 different substations across Iosco and Arenac counties. He also sampled 23 different pieces of equipment, including phase regulators, load tap changers and transformers. 

Reliability has become even more of a focal point this year at the lab, with an uptick of 50% more reliability work this year. And leaders expect the same for 2025 and beyond. 

Maximizing Reliability  

Ehlert, lead chemical technician, has been with the lab since 2012. She also travels the state, making sure our generation sites are maximizing the reliable power available to customers from the environmental and natural resource aspect.  

“The emergent work I do includes environmental compliance testing at all Consumers Energy generation sites, and I perform 90% of all analytical testing done by the lab,” she said. “Making sure the generation sites comply means consistent generation for our customers. I take the “Count on Us” slogan serious because there is an entire state that depends on our reliability, whether it be from pediatric care in hospitals, critical care for family members, manufacturing of vehicle parts, water production and usage, and so much more.” 

Ehlert, also performs sampling and analysis on soil, water, oil and waste to make sure all forms of generation are performing at high levels of reliability. It includes testing the soil around gas pipelines, groundwater and surface water at compressor stations and generation sites, oil in a transformer, and waste.  

“We do everything we can to provide reliable service to everyone we serve,” she said. “And to me that’s quality and consistency.”

Ehlert said she appreciates the opportunities the Trail Street Lab has offered. She wanted to be a science teacher, but knows the lab is where she’s meant to be. 

“I love being outside in the middle of the woods and hearing the water run behind me,” she said. 

“And knowing that I’m doing everything in my power to make sure the land and water remain in their pristine condition. Plus, I realized I didn’t have the patience to work with little kids,” she said with a laugh. 

Every Single Time 

Ehlert never knows what to expect each day on the job. And she’s proud to offer opportunities for others, including educational opportunities for students to job-shadow and demonstrate how Lab Services provides a different side of electric reliability.

“We use existing natural resources to generate energy, and the resource is returned back to the environment, cleaner and better than we found it,” she said. 

Sayles and Ehlert take great pride in making sure the lab employees do their part to ensure the company’s reliability standards are compliant.  

“And when we need to step up our efforts to make sure our customers get the safe, reliable power that they deserve…that’s what we will do every single time.”

Related blog:

Counting the Ways you can Count on Lab Services | Force4Michigan