Energy Provider to Shift Crews and Resources to Help Other Northern Michigan Utilities with Restoration Efforts

JACKSON, Mich., April 4, 2025 – Helped by better weather, Consumers Energy is on track to restore nearly all the 380,000 customers affected statewide by severe ice and thunderstorms in northern and southern Michigan by late Friday.

Hundreds of crews are continuing an around-the-clock push to repair – and in some areas, rebuild – the electric grid in hard-hit northern Michigan counties, which are expected to see power restored by Saturday morning.

See photos of northern Michigan restoration efforts here

See video footage of south/central Michigan restoration efforts here

As Consumers Energy wraps up restoration work for its customers, the energy provider will work with the State Emergency Operations Center to gradually shift contracted line crews, damage assessment teams and available materials to neighboring northern Michigan utilities to support their restoration efforts.

“Damage caused by this week’s storms was no less than catastrophic across the state, and especially in northern Michigan,” said Norm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy’s Officers in Charge of restoration. “We thank our customers for their patience, perseverance and understanding as we complete final restoration. Because we count all of Michigan among our friends and neighbors, we also look forward to helping other northern Michigan utilities restore their customers’ power. We’re all in this together.”

The spirit of togetherness was felt by Zack Mat, a Consumers Energy tree trimmer in northern Michigan working alongside crews to help clear paths for restoration.

“The destruction left from this storm has put thousands of our neighbors in distress. I just want them to know, we are out here. We are thinking about you. Line crews and tree companies are working side by side to restore power to our great northern Michigan community. Stay strong. Stay hopeful. Stay together. We are Michiganders,” Mat said.

Consumers Energy’s work to inform and support northern Michigan residents and communities included providing water to seven community shelters in northern Michigan and hosting a food truck at the Gaylord community shelter that served more than 420 customers. Consumers Energy also conducted several community storm briefings to keep local and state elected officials, and first responders informed about restoration work.

Consumers Energy urges the public to keep important safety tips in mind:

• Be alert to crews working along the 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.

Customers can continue to track the progress of restoration work on the Consumers Energy online outage map.

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 delivering reliable, clean, and affordable energy to our customers 24/7.

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