Consumers Energy Restores More than 70,000 Customers Within First 13 Hours of Work

Jackson, Mich. Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Following a massive thunderstorm which swept the state early this morning — bringing with it 70+ mph winds in some locations — Consumers Energy has had crews in the field since the storm subsided this morning around 10 a.m. in an all-hands-on-deck effort to restore power as quickly and as safely as possible to all customers.

More than 450 crews, including crews from five different states, are working round-the-clock to restore power after the storm impacted approximately160,000 customers across the state. As of 9:30 p.m., more than 70,000 customers already had their power restored, while most customers can expect to have their power restored by midday Thursday.

As a thank you to customers for their patience in the regions hit hardest by the storm, Consumers Energy will be providing free water and shaved ice to customers at the following times and locations:

Free Water Distribution

• When: 12:00pm – 2:00pm, Wednesday June 26
• Where:  Oakridge High School (Parking lot between Middle School and Athletic Field), 251 S. Wolf Lake Road, Muskegon

Free Shaved Ice Snow Cones

• When: 4:00pm – 6:00pm, Wednesday June 26
• Where: Goodrich Park, 100 Lake St, Whitehall

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 roadsides. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can go safely past.

• 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. Consumers Energy reminds people that falsely calling in downed lines actually slows down the restoration process for everyone.
• 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 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy knows Job No. 1 is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to providing reliable, clean and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.

###

Media Contact: Katie Carey, 517-740-1739