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April 28, 2025
News media contact: Matt Helms 517-284-8300
Customer Assistance: 800-292-9555
The Michigan Public Service Commission announced today that it will hold a public forum in northern Michigan in May to review the response to the catastrophic ice storm that heavily damaged the power grid and left thousands without power and to take input from utility customers impacted by the storm.
The Commission invites the public to attend the forum and listening session on Wednesday, May 21, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Ellison Place, 150 Dale Drive in Gaylord. Commissioners and MPSC Staff will be on hand to hear directly from utility customers and others about the ice storm and the response to it by local and state authorities, utilities and others.
“The storm devastated northern Michigan, leaving businesses and schools closed, roads inaccessible, thousands of power poles snapped and hundreds of miles of power lines down,” said MPSC Chair Dan Scripps. “We were heartened by how northern Michiganders pulled together to ensure their neighbors had access to shelter, safety and meals with the power out, and we want to hear from residents, business owners and others about their thoughts on the response efforts – what went right, what went wrong, and what could have been done better.”
The ice storm caused catastrophic damage to power grids, leaving almost all customers without power in a number of counties in Northeast Lower Michigan, including customers of Alpena Power Co., Consumers Energy, Great Lakes Energy, and Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op. The ice storm also impacted a significant number of customers in the Eastern Upper Peninsula served by Cloverland Electric Cooperative.
The hearing will be in-person only. Individuals with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations to participate in the hearing by contacting the Commission’s Executive Secretary at 517-284-8090 as far as possible in advance of the meeting.
For information about the MPSC, visit www.michigan.gov/mpsc, sign up for its monthly newsletter or other listservs. Follow the MPSC on Facebook, X/Twitter or LinkedIn.
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