JACKSON, Mich., Jan. 13, 2024 – Consumers Energy lineworkers and contractors worked throughout the night to restore power to more than 60,000 customers after a winter storm struck the state Friday, bringing high winds and wet, heavy snow that felled limbs and downed lines across several regions. Crews forged ahead Saturday morning to help the roughly 65,000 customers remaining without power in the face of high winds that could create additional outages.

 

“We have over 450 crews of lineworkers and contractors working tirelessly to restore power,” said Melissa Gleespen, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge of restoration. “The high winds forecast for today will continue to present obstacles. But our crews are up to the challenge. We thank our customers and communities for their patience.”

 

Consumers Energy crews are being supported by contractors from Michigan and nine other states, including crews from as far away as Colorado, Oklahoma, Alabama and New York. Lineworkers can work up to 16 hours at a time, which helps power Consumers Energy’s around-the-clock commitment to Michigan.

 

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

• 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.
• 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 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.