Storm Prep Secrets from Michigan’s Power Providers

Consumers Energy provides power for 1.8 million Michiganders. When you're in the business of supplying electricity to millions, having a plan for when Mother Nature strikes is essential. So—what's in the playbook?

How Consumers Energy Plans Before the Storm

I asked Consumers Energy spokesman, Brian Wheeler, how the folks responsible for keeping Michigan's lights on, food cold, and phones charged prepare for a major weather event.

RELATED: New Study: Michigan Tops U.S. in Power Outage Risk in 2025

For context, I spoke with Wheeler on June 18, 2025, and a major storm was slated to move through Mid-Michigan, with several communities served by Consumers in its path. 

The power company's restoration goal is ambitious: Consumers Energy aims to restore power to all customers within 24 hours of an outage, and there are 485 crews on standby to respond in the event of an interruption.

He then shared that Consumers Energy has 100,000 miles of power lines in Michigan—100,000 miles (most of which are above ground). That's enough to wrap around the Earth's equator...4 times.

Michigan’s 100,000 Miles of Power Lines

That mind-boggling stat put things in perspective. The scope of what these crews are doing is daunting, to say the least.

What Are ‘Blue Sky Days’?

Wheeler went on to say that storm power restoration starts well before the storm, on what he referred to as "Blue Sky Days." This is when these same crews set out to improve the existing infrastructure to avoid outages before they happen..

RELATED: Squirrels Cause Most Michigan Power Outages—Here’s Why

Lansing Board of Water & Light’s Storm Prep

The same type of game plan is in place for the Lansing Board of Water and Light, which supplies electricity to around 100,000 residents in Mid-Michigan, according to spokesperson Amy Adamy. She shared that the power company's pre-storm staffing is dependent on the size of the storm and its potential to cause an outage.

How You Can Prepare for an Outage in Michigan

Both Wheeler and Adamy encouraged residents to have a household plan in place for when the electricity is out, especially during extreme temperature conditions. Find warming or cooling centers in your community ahead of the storm and a strategy for waiting out the outage at home.