Consumers Energy Thanks Customers for Patience and Understanding, Expects Almost All to be Restored Today

(March 1, 2023 11:10 AM) More than 600 crews continue working to restore power across Michigan this morning to homes and businesses affected by the recent major storms. The goal is to turn the lights back on for almost all customers today.  In Jackson County, 2,305 customers are awaiting restoration as of 11 AM today.

“To our customers who are frustrated waiting days for the lights to turn back on across Michigan, we share your frustration, and we thank you for your understanding,” said Amanda Wagenschutz, one of Consumers Energy’s officers in charge for the event. “With last week’s historic ice storm and dangerous weather behind us, we have restored 92% of 403,000 customers who lost power between the two ice storms. We are in the home stretch and expect almost all customers to see their power restored today.”

Crews, including some from as far away as Kentucky and Virginia, remain at work. They have restored power to over 370,000 homes and businesses since last Wednesday. Crews are finishing some of the most challenging repairs in southern Michigan communities, while others have been sent north to continue working where Monday’s ice and winds caused the second round of damage.

“We know extended outages affect our customers’ wellbeing,” said Wagenschutz. “We deeply apologize and are determined to safely finish the job as quickly as possible. As our restoration work winds down, I would like to remind the public to slow down and go around our crews working in roadways.”

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.

Consumers Energy also urges the public to keep this important information in mind:

• 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.
• 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 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.