Customer Outage History (2024)

When a utility is experiencing outages beyond a threshold level, they report their status and estimated number of customers affected to the MPSC. The MPSC uses this information to monitor restoration activities and coordinate with utilities and local emergency responders when help is needed.

For the latest information during storm events, many Michigan utilities have outage maps on their respective webpages to assist customers in identifying affected areas and estimated restoration times. These maps are updated frequently and are the best source of information regarding an outage. In addition, customers may receive restoration updates via text messages or emails to their phones. Click herefor access to your utility’s outage map.

Poweroutage.us is a resource to view outages around the country in real time, including Michigan’s map.

Storm outage data for January 2024 through August 2024 is shown below for the utilities regulated by the MPSC. For Consumers Energy and DTE Electric, events greater than 20,000 customers are listed. For all other utilities, events greater than 7,500 are listed. This data will be updated as final numbers are received from the utility reports submitted in U-21122. Initial reported outages are denoted by an asterisk (*).

2024 Utility Outages
Start Date of Event Utility Total Outages
8/27/2024* DTE 332,921
8/27/2024* CE 189,917
8/27/2024* I&M 7,650
7/15/2024* I&M 11,000
7/9/2024* CE 48,000
6/25/2024 CE 185,497
6/19/2024 DTE 125,128
6/16/2024 CE 87,334
6/5/2024 DTE 71,603
5/20/2024 CE 34,988
4/12/2024 CE 93,060
2/28/2024 CE 45,704
1/12/2024 DTE 190,235
1/9/2024 CE 293,020

* Initial Report - Will be updated with final numbers

The next U-21122 filings are due on November 15, 2024

Historical Outage Information

  • Prior Years: 2023,2022, 2021, 2020, 2019

Outage Credits

Customers may be eligible for a credit on their electric bill if they experience lengthy or frequent service outages. Residential customers may qualify for the greater of a $38.00 credit or their monthly customer charge. For commercial and other classes of service, the credit is determined based on a customer’s minimum bill. Customers will now receive the outage credit automatically on their bill, eliminating the prior need to apply for the credit.

Outage Credits
Condition Type Customers Outage Length Credit Amount
Normal 16 hrs

$38

Plus $38

for each additional day

Gray Sky 48 hrs
Catastrophic 96 hrs
Credits for Repetitive Outages
6 or more interruptions in 12 months
$38

Current MPSC Efforts

The MPSC is working to address reliability issues and improve the quality of service for customers.

Updated Rules

The MPSC’s MI Power Grid – Grid Security and Reliability Standards workgroup provided input to the revisions incorporated into the MPSC’s Service Quality and Reliability Standards for Electric Distribution Systemsand Technical Standards for Electric Service Rules. For more information on the revised rules click here.

2023 Power Outage Town Hall

March 2023 Power Outage Town Hall Meeting Recap

Third-Party Review and Audit of Consumers Energy’s and DTE Electric’s Distribution Systems

In an orderissued on October 5, 2022 in Case No. U-21305, the Commission described the 2-part audit:

Part 1 will consist of a physical audit of the existing installed infrastructure to determine whether the existing installed infrastructure matches the company’s records. This part will involve physical measurements of installed distribution infrastructure to ensure compliance with the utility’s engineering standards. Measurements will include a statistically significant sample of infrastructure at a variety of locations and considering a variety of types of distribution infrastructure to get a statistically relevant understanding of the state of the utility’s overall distribution system. This part will include a comparison of the condition of the company’s distribution system to that of other utilities in similar climates.

Part 2 will consist of an audit of each utility’s programs and processes to determine whether the existing programs and processes for emergency preparedness, storm restoration, distribution system maintenance, and investment are sufficient and equitable, and whether they properly plan for climate change and changing load profiles. This part will include a review of each company’s engineering standards and inspection and maintenance programs to ensure they meet the needs of the distribution system, now and into the future. It will include an audit of the accounting process for the distribution system to ensure costs are being accurately managed and recorded. It will also include a review of how the utility manages the operations of the distribution system, including how maintenance prioritization is determined, how personnel are managed during outage recovery, and company management and internal policies and procedures regarding outages, distribution management, safety, and planning.

In response to an order issued on March 3, 2022, the Staff worked with utilities to create a reporting template enabling the utilities to file updated information pertinent to reliability, outages and storm response.

Reportable data will include existing and proposed reliability metrics, as well as data on outage numbers and restoration times for each month and each storm, and monthly tree trimming data that includes the miles of power lines cleared and the amount spent on tree trimming. For data reported on storms, the Commission also seeks information on storm type, customers interrupted, storm duration and restoration in days, the amount of dollars spent for each storm event, dollars paid in customer outage credits, and mutual aid requests and expenses for each storm event. The Commission specifically seeks data by ZIP code and Census tract, finding it especially useful to have that level of granularity.

The first utility data submissions will be provided to the Commission by May 15, 2023 and will include data for January, February, and March 2023. The Commission’s Distribution System Reliability webpages will be updated with the new data when available.

Statewide Energy Assessment Report

The Statewide Energy Assessment Report (SEA Report) is a statewide review of the supply, engineering, and deliverability of natural gas, electricity, and propane systems, as well as contingency planning related to those systems.

SEA Report SEA Fact Sheet 2021 SEA Progress Report

Distribution Investment and Maintenance Plans

These reports include an overview of the utility’s distribution system, plans for future improvement, vegetation management plans, and reliability performance metrics.

Consumers Energy

DTE Electric

Indiana Michigan- Revised Page 52

Michigan Infrastructure Council

Participation in the Michigan Infrastructure Council's 30 Year Infrastructure Planning Project

Customer Outage History (2024)

FAQs

How to communicate with customers after an outage? ›

Four tips for outage communication with customers
  1. Communicate with clarity and empathy. We get it. ...
  2. Keep emails short and simple. ...
  3. Try to lighten things up with humor, but remember to keep it professional. ...
  4. Give regular status updates and keep following up.
Jul 26, 2024

What would you do in the event of an outage? ›

What To Do During a Power Outage
  • Check Circuit Breakers. This is a crucial first step because a tripped breaker might be the cause of the outage. ...
  • Report the Outage. ...
  • Use Flashlights. ...
  • Unplug Electronics. ...
  • Keep Refrigerator Closed. ...
  • Stay Warm or Cool. ...
  • Conserve Water. ...
  • Avoid Travel.
May 22, 2024

How do I check for power outages in my area? ›

Contact Us
  1. 1-800-DIAL DWP (1-800-342-5397) Available 24/7 for emergency and outage calls.
  2. Hearing/Speech Impaired (TDD) (1-800-432-7397)

What is the biggest power outage in history? ›

The largest power outage in history by number of people affected took place in Northern India. On 30 and 31 July 2012, two severe blackouts occurred, the second of which affected some 670 million people—half the country's population, or almost 10% of the world's population.

What do you say to customers when systems are down? ›

Message: We're currently experiencing a service outage for our [product/website/system]. Our team is actively working on resolving the issue. We believe the interruption is due to [reason] and IT experts are working tirelessly to restore service as quickly as possible.

How do you respond to a system outage? ›

How to respond to an outage
  1. ❌ Don't wait too long before acknowledging the issue.
  2. ✅ Do gather as much information as possible, namely the cause, extent of the outage, timeline for return and any cybersecurity or customer data risks.
  3. ✅ Do draft holding statements and share across company channels.
Jul 25, 2024

How do I say power outage in my area? ›

There is a power outage. There is a power failure. The power is Off.

How do I say no electricity in my area? ›

If you have a powercut or powercut problem in your area then just dial 1912. Tell the BESCOM provider that you have a power cut, you can either tell them about the area where powercut has happened or just give your consumer ID. They will create a docket and the electrician will come and fix the issue ASAP.

How long can a fridge go without power? ›

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened. A full freezer will keep the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed.

Which state has the most power outages? ›

With the most annual power outages, Maine is surely left in the dark. The Pine Tree State tops the list with an average of 4.35 power outages every year, a stark increase above the national average of 1.62 per year.

What is the number one cause of power outages in the US? ›

Severe weather and storms

The biggest cause of power outages is weather. In fact, 83% of power outages are weather related. Severe weather can take several forms: Wind, such as derechos, hurricanes and tornadoes, can blow down power lines.

How long do most power outages last? ›

Utility workers can fix a minor incident, such as a fallen power line, in around 2-3 hours. But when the cause of a blackout is severe weather or a natural disaster, you can expect to be out for several days and even months in some extreme cases.

How do you inform customers about downtime? ›

When the issue is currently happening
  1. Update status page.
  2. Send an email alert about the unplanned outage.
  3. Update relevant social media bios about the incident and include a link to your status page.
  4. Craft a social media post notifying about the incident.

How do you communicate with a power outage? ›

Walkie talkies or multi-pack handheld radios may be an option to communicate short distances. Satellite phones are an expensive but reliable way to communicate when power is out and can be purchased online.

How do you communicate with customers if you can t solve a problem right away? ›

When you can't give your customer an answer or solution at the moment, show a sense of urgency with your words. Here are some examples. "Although I cannot provide an immediate solution, I assure you that we are working on it." "We want to get to the bottom of this as much as you do." (And then explain your next steps."

How do you reconnect with customers? ›

15 Smart Ways For Service Businesses To Reconnect With Past Clients
  1. Always Stay Connected. ...
  2. Invite Past Clients To Learning Events. ...
  3. Stay Up To Date On Company Happenings. ...
  4. Use Conferences As Opportunities To Reconnect. ...
  5. Inquire About Previous Results. ...
  6. Spend Time Together In Person. ...
  7. Send A Direct Message On Instagram.
Mar 31, 2023

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