Consumers Energy to Continue Restoration Efforts Overnight, Preparing for Next Storm on Friday

Jackson, Mich. Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Consumers Energy lineworkers and contractors will be continuing their efforts through the night to restore power after a storm system moved through the state Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing high winds and wet, heavy snow that felled limbs and downed lines across several regions.

“We have more than 600 lineworkers and contractors working around the clock to restore power,” said Chris Laird, vice president of electric operations for Consumers Energy. “We’re also preparing for the storm predicted to bring similar, if not worse, conditions back across the state this weekend, and intend to keep contractor crews on our system to be ready for whatever Mother Nature throws our way.”

Consumers Energy is monitoring a second strong storm system expected to bring several inches of widespread snow and strong winds to many areas Friday and Saturday.

Consumers Energy urges the public to keep important safety tips in mind:

• Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines, and to report unguarded downed lines by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.
• 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.
• 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.

Customers can continue to check the status of outages at www.ConsumersEnergy.com/OutageCenter. They can also sign 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.

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.

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Media Contact: Tracy Wimmer, 517-539-4465 or tracy.wimmer@cmsenergy.com

This is the final news release for this storm.