More than 500 Crews Continue Working as Company Thanks Customers for Their Patience, Understanding

JACKSON, Mich., August 29, 2024 – Consumers Energy officials are thanking customers for their patience and understanding as crews from Michigan and nine other states finish restoring most of the remaining customers without power from Tuesday’s severe thunderstorms.

As of 4:30 p.m., more than 500 crews have restored power to about 90 percent of more than 200,000 affected customers.

“We’ve seen significant damage from this week’s storm, but today’s calmer and cooler weather has helped us get the lights back on for many,” said Chris Fultz, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge for restoration. “We thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding as we work quickly and safely to turn the lights back on for most customers by late today.”

Fultz noted that some customers whose electric service has been severely damaged may still be without power Friday. Any customers who have questions about outages that are displayed online should contact Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050.

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 roadsides. Drivers should slow down or stop and wait for oncoming traffic to clear so they can go safely past.
• Stay at least 25 feet away from downed power lines and report unguarded downed lines by calling 9-1-1 and Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050. Consumers Energy reminds people that falsely calling in downed lines actually slows down the restoration process for everyone.
• 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 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy knows Job No. 1 is to keep the lights on for customers. We are committed to providing reliable, clean and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.

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