Consumers Energy Continues to Work on Statewide Power Outages

Consumers Energy will deploy over 600 crews from Michigan and other states today to restore power to customers affected by two major storms in less than a week. Work will continue to turn on the lights in counties from the Ohio border to West Michigan and the Bay region.

“Our commitment to our customers is nothing less than all hands on deck, and that continues despite Mother Nature delivering ice and damage to new communities Monday,” said Jeff Shingler, one of Consumers Energy’s officers in charge for the event. “We appreciate people’s patience and understanding while we expect crews to make progress on a clear day today.”

Michiganders today are dealing with the impact of Monday’s storm that brought strong winds and ice, and interrupted power to some 45,000 homes and businesses. Consumers Energy projects most of those customers should have power by the end of the day Wednesday.

Consumers Energy crews and contractors also are finishing restoration to some of the most challenging damage caused by last week’s severe weather. Since that first ice storm, crews have worked around the clock to restore power to over 260,000 homes and businesses

Consumers Energy customers can get updates on 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 also encouraged people to 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 urges the public to keep this important information in mind:

• 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.
• Call 2-1-1, a free statewide service, if you need 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.
• 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.