During the March 2026 storms, which left 340,000 customers in the dark, 80% of households regained power within 24 hours. This marks a 16% improvement over similar events from the previous year and a 26% gain compared to the severe February 2023 outages. The utility saw even greater efficiency in June, restoring 91% of 238,000 affected customers within a single day—a 35% increase in speed over comparable storms from 2023 and 2025.
Consumers Energy Reports Faster Power Restoration Times in 2026
Customers in Michigan experienced shorter power outages during major weather events this year compared to 2023 and 2025, according to a performance analysis released by Consumers Energy. The utility credits these gains to accelerated investments in grid infrastructure, advanced forecasting technology, and more efficient crew deployment strategies.
Norm Kapala, an officer in charge of storm response, attributed the progress to a multi-year effort focused on tree trimming, the installation of hardened equipment, and better resource positioning. These operational adjustments are central to the company’s Reliability Roadmap. Following a series of heat-related events in early July, preliminary data indicated that 71% of customers were back online within 24 hours, while a September weather event saw 90% of affected users restored in under 8 hours. Greg Salisbury, senior vice president of electric distribution, noted that the data validates their current strategy for managing extreme weather across the Lower Peninsula.
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