News Release

Crews Start Restoring Power to Final Consumers Energy Customers Affected by Two Michigan Storms

JACKSON, Mich.. Wednesday, March 01, 2023

Over 600 crews are continuing to work and moving into position to return power across Michigan this morning to homes and businesses affected by the last week’s major storms. The goal is to turn the lights on for almost all customers today.

“We are ready to get the job done,” said Jeff Shingler, one of Consumers Energy’s officers in charge for the event. “The last week has brought a historic ice storm and another round of bad weather on its heels. We have restored 92% of 385,000 customers who lost power at some point, but know we must take care of those who have waited so patiently for us to finish.”

Six hundred crews, including some from as far away as Kentucky and Virginia, remain at work. They have restored power to over 350,000 homes and businesses since last Wednesday. Crews are finishing some of the most challenging repairs in southern Michigan communities, while others have been redeployed north to continue working where Monday’s ice and winds caused the second round of damage.

Consumers Energy is thanking people in Hudson, in Lenawee County, this morning by providing two free community breakfasts. Details can be found on Consumers Energy’s Facebook page.

“We understand that many people are frustrated to wait days for power to return,” Shingler said. “We know this is a hardship that affects people’s comfort and well-being, and we are sorry.”

Consumers Energy customers can get updates on the continuing restoration work by signing up to get outage alerts and restoration times sent to a phone, email or text message, Text ‘REG' to 232273 or visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/alerts. People who don’t sign up for alerts can report and check on the status of outages at www.ConsumersEnergy.com/outagecenter.

Shingler encouraged people to be careful while crews continue to work along roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they safely can go past workers on roadsides.

Consumers Energy also urges the public to keep this important information in mind:

• Call 2-1-1, a free statewide service, if you are looking for help connecting to resources that offer assistance in their community, including warming centers.
• Never use a generator in an attached garage, basement, enclosed patio or near any air intakes. Doing so could cause a generator to produce hazardous levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas. Read more guidance on safe generator use here.
• Watch for downed wires. People should always stay at least 25 feet away from a downed wire, keep children and pets away, and report the issue by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
• Consumers Energy will trim or remove trees interfering with electric restoration activities. Once safe to do so, clean-up of debris from tree trimming or removal during a storm emergency is the responsibility of individual property owners.
• In some cases, the mast that holds the electric service wires to a home or business may have been damaged or torn away. Crews will reconnect the wires to a home, but only a licensed electrician can repair or replace a mast or a cable.

Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

###

Media Contacts: Brian Wheeler, 517-740-1545, or Josh Paciorek, 517-243-9036