Consumers Energy said it expects to power 1,500 new fast charging locations for electric vehicles by the end of the decade.

The forecast is part of Consumers Energy’s Transportation Electrification Plan that it is filing with state regulators. In the report, the energy provider shared successes stories of residential and business EV programs, vehicle charging at night to support the grid – and offered a plan for new rebates for battery-powered public EV chargers. 

“Despite some of the naysayers in the news lately, the trends in EV growth are unmistakable,” said Lauren Snyder, Consumers Energy’s vice president of customer experience. “EV numbers in Michigan have tripled since the end of 2020, and we’re seeing strong signs growth will continue.”

Consumers Energy has provided over 135 rebates for locations for public fast chargers that can fully power an EV’s battery in less than half an hour. The energy provider expects over 1,500 locations, each with four or more fast chargers, will be built over the rest of this decade as EV numbers climb.

To support that growth, Snyder said Consumers Energy will start offering rebates next year for the next generation of fast chargers – ones that are powered by on-site batteries. These are meant to allow chargers to be installed more quickly, and they will draw power from the electric grid overnight.