Consumers Energy Starts Project to Bury Two Miles of Power Lines near Standish

Standish, Mich. Monday, June 10, 2024

Work Supports Reliability Roadmap, Keeping Lights on for Customers

Consumers Energy crews today are starting the second week of a project to bury two miles of power lines near Standish, upgrading the region’s electric grid and showcasing the efficiency of protecting lines in some areas to withstand threats from falling trees and severe weather.

“Consumers Energy has made a commitment to keeping the lights on more consistently with our Reliability Roadmap, and work like this shows how we can make that happen,” said Chris Laird, Consumers Energy’s vice president of electric operations. “When we bury power lines, we can significantly reduce the impact of storms, heavy snow, ice and even tornadoes that can cause outages. We know this work will provide a clear benefit to homes and businesses in the area.”

Consumers Energy crews will be burying overhead power lines through June and most of July, south of Standish along Palmer Road east from City Limits Road. Customers along the work route will experience brief power interruptions when work is completed.

Laird also encouraged people to slow down and go around as Consumers Energy trucks will be parked along the road.

Consumers Energy is making long-term plans to bury more power lines, strengthening electric service for nearly 2 million Michigan homes and businesses. In addition to the Standish project, the company is spending $3.7 million to bury 10 miles of overhead power lines statewide in the next year.

Underground lines currently make up about 15 percent of Consumers Energy electric system. Most are in subdivisions and areas with high population density. Consumers Energy has a goal to bury over 1,000 miles of line in the next five years.

Consumers Energy’s Reliability Roadmap is a blueprint for serving Michigan, working toward two goals: 1. To restore power to all customers in 24 hours, even after severe storms, and 2. That no more than 100,000 customers will lose power at a time.

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.

###

Media Contacts: Brian Wheeler, 517-740-1545, or Tracy Wimmer, 517-539-4465