Celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Advancing Innovation and Reliability

How Women in STEM Are Strengthening Michigan's Electric Grid

JACKSON, Mich., Feb. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we proudly recognize the invaluable contributions of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. STEM careers are critical to the energy industry and to our efforts to provide customers with reliable service. Today, we highlight the exceptional work of the women in STEM careers at Consumers Energy.

As a key member of the team committed to providing reliable service throughout the state, Casey Ehlert, lead chemical technician, has been with the Lab Service Group since 2012. While her original career aspirations were to be a science teacher, she knows the lab is where she's meant to be. Her dedication and expertise have been instrumental in enhancing the reliability of essential services across Michigan.

"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," said Casey. "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." 

Casey applies her scientific knowledge and analytical skills to address complex challenges in service delivery. Through strong leadership in field operations, she ensures that maintenance and improvement projects are executed efficiently, minimizing disruptions and keeping communities connected. Her work aligns seamlessly with Consumers Energy's Reliability Roadmap, which focuses on strengthening the grid through projects including grid modernization, infrastructure upgrades, tree trimming, and equity and environmental justice.

As we celebrate this day, we honor Casey and all women whose contributions to science and engineering have been instrumental in enhancing the reliability of services in Michigan. Their work helped to reduced customers' average time without power by over 20 minutes last year – Not only improving our daily lives but also inspiring future generations of women to pursue careers in STEM.

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 knows job number one is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to delivering reliable, clean, and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.  

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to ConsumersEnergy.com.

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SOURCE Consumers Energy