Consumers Energy Focused on Restoring Southern Counties

(February 28, 2023 4:48 PM) Consumers Energy is continuing work on restoring electric service to all customers as quickly and safely as possible following two ice storms that have impacted Michigan since last Wednesday. The company said it is keeping the 600 crews – including workers from four other states – working on the system.

“We are focused on restoring the customers that have been impacted the longest in Branch, Hillsdale, Jackson, Washtenaw and Lenawee counties, then moving our crews north to aid in restoration efforts already taking place, mainly from Grand Rapids up toward Big Rapids and across to the Flint area,” said Amanda Wagenschutz, one of Consumers Energy’s officers in charge for the event. “We will continue to work around the clock to return electric service and normalcy to our customers who have been demonstrating grace and patience throughout the course of these storm events.”

As of 4:30 PM Tuesday, 5,336 Jackson County customers are awaiting restoration.

In all, more than 385,000 customers have been impacted by the two recent storms, with more than 324,000 customers having already been restored. Crews are expected to finish making repairs in southern Michigan throughout the day tomorrow before traveling north to continue working where yesterday’s ice storm caused damage. Ice can create power outages by weighing down trees and the electric grid, putting as much weight as a baby grand piano on a single span of power line. Consumers Energy continues to assess restoration times for the areas impacted yesterday.

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.

Wagenschutz 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 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.

·       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.