Consumers Energy Restoring Power to Final Northern Michigan Customers After Historic Winter Storm

Consumers Energy Restoring Power to Final Northern Michigan Customers After Historic Winter Storm

Jackson, Mich. Thursday, March 19, 2026

Consumers Energy crews and contractors from Michigan and other states will be working through the night to restore power to the last Northern Michigan customers who experienced record ice and snow this week.

Consumers Energy will continue working around the clock to get the lights back on for the final 8,000 customers. Nearly 260,00 were affected since Sunday.

"We're firmly committed to finishing the job safely and quickly. We have positioned crews, plus poles, wire and other critical materials, in the field closest to where we're helping customers," said Greg Salisbury, Consumers Energy's president of electric distribution. "We have a plan and will be following it around the clock until we've helped every home and business."

"We understand it's frustrating to be without power. We want to thank the community for their patience and understanding."

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.

If anyone sees information on the outage map that doesn't appear accurate, they're encouraged to call 800-477-5050.

Consumers Energy is reminding the public to continue keeping safety top of mind as crews continue their restoration work. Here are important safety tips:

• Be alert to crews working along roads. 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, cleanup 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.

###