Consumers Energy Mobilizes Hundreds of Crews to Restore Power in Northern Michigan

High winds and winter weather continue to impact the region, causing widespread outages.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 5:10pm

Consumers Energy has deployed over 540 crews across Northern Michigan to restore power after heavy snow, ice, and high winds caused widespread outages in the region. The company has pre-staged mobile storm units and additional crews to secure the grid and get the lights back on as quickly and safely as possible, with lineworkers working around the clock in 16-hour shifts.

Why it matters

Restoring power quickly is critical during extreme winter weather events to ensure the safety and well-being of impacted communities. Consumers Energy's proactive response and large-scale mobilization of resources demonstrates the company's commitment to serving its customers, even in the face of challenging conditions.

The details

Consumers Energy says it has crews, equipment, and support resources in place across Northern Michigan as communities recover from the recent snow and ice storms. With high winds expected to continue, the company anticipates additional outages and is working to secure the grid and restore power as quickly as possible. Mobile storm units have been pre-staged and are now on their way to some of the hardest-hit areas, like Houghton Lake and Alcona County, to supplement the crews already on the ground.

  • The storms caused power outages over the last 24 hours.
  • High winds are expected to continue impacting the region throughout today.

The players

Consumers Energy

A public utility company that provides electricity and natural gas to customers across Michigan.

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What’s next

Consumers Energy crews will continue working around the clock in 16-hour shifts to restore power and secure the grid in the affected areas.

The takeaway

Consumers Energy's swift and large-scale response to the winter weather event demonstrates the company's commitment to serving its customers and ensuring the safety and well-being of the communities it serves, even in the face of challenging conditions.