Consumers Energy: 98% Have Power, Work to Continue Overnight

(August 15, 2021 9:24 PM) Five days after the first of three storm waves statewide, Consumers Energy announced more than 98% of all electric customers now have power, with most expected to be restored overnight.

“We are very pleased with the progress made given the extent of the damage,” said Guy Packard, Consumers Energy’s vice president for electric operations. “With much of the state wrapped up, we’re consolidating crews in the southernmost counties in our final push for this storm.”

St. Joseph, Branch, Hillsdale and Jackson counties experienced significant damage when the third wave of the storm rolled through early Thursday. Packard hosted a call with local leaders and emergency officials in those regions earlier today to update them on progress and answer questions.

As outage numbers tick steadily downward, lineworkers will continue around-the-clock restoration work until 100% of service is restored.

As of 9:24 PM today, 8,908 customers in Jackson County remain without power.

Thousands of workers, including contractors from seven states, have worked tirelessly since late Tuesday with a goal to restore power to all 370,000 homes and businesses that lost power.

“Our co-workers – including those helping from other energy companies – go above and beyond to serve our customers,” said Packard. “To those who have sent words of gratitude, know that it means the world to these crews – Thank you.”

This storm was one of the 10 most significant in company history with more than 7,000 wires down and over 200 poles damaged across Michigan. In many areas, repairs included upgraded poles, conductors and crossarms made to withstand higher wind speeds and greater tree damage. These upgrades aid the resiliency of the system and are part of ongoing, deliberate infrastructure investments within Consumers Energy’s electric service territory. 

Customers can check the progress crews are making to restore power by visiting 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 also sharing the following tips:

• If traffic lights are out, treat them as a four-way stop and use caution moving through intersections.
• Be alert to crews working along roads. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they safely can go past workers on roadsides.
• Keep generators 20 feet from your home or business and never use one in an attached garage, basement, enclosed patio or near any air intakes. Doing so could cause hazardous levels of carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless and deadly gas.
• 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 which holds the electric service wires to a customer’s 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.