Consumers Energy Continues Fight Against the Elements to Help Customers Impacted by Fierce Winter Storm

Jackson, Mich. Saturday, January 13, 2024

Consumers Energy lineworkers and contractors braved high winds and difficult road conditions Saturday to restore power to thousands of customers affected by a winter storm that struck the state Jan. 12, felling limbs and downing lines across several regions. About 463 crews, including support from out-of-state contractors, reduced the number of customers without power to about 40,400 as of Saturday evening  despite widespread gusts that made bucket work challenging and caused more outages.

“We’re making steady progress as we work safely to bring power back to the homes and businesses we serve as quickly as possible,” said Melissa Gleespen, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge of restoration. “Mother Nature continues to create a demanding work environment, but our crews are up to the challenge and committed to helping and protecting our customers. We thank our customers and communities for their continued patience.”

Though the storm caused damage and outages throughout Michigan, the hardest hit part of Consumers Energy’s service territory was the northeast Lower Peninsula, including the, Midland, Bay, Iosco, Ogemaw and Alcona counties.

Consumers Energy crews are being supported by contractors from Michigan and nine other states, including crews from as far away as Colorado, Oklahoma, Alabama and New York. Lineworkers can work up to 16 hours at a time, which helps power Consumers Energy’s around-the-clock commitment to Michigan.

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 urges the public to keep important safety tips in mind:

• Be alert to crews working along slick roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can go safely past workers on roadsides.
• 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.

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: Doug DeYoung, 231-929-6234, or douglas.deyoung@cmsenergy.com

The next news release is planned for 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 14.