JENISON, MI (WHTC) – As Consumers Energy crews, augmented by over 200 crews from neighboring states and contractors, work to restore power to over 150 thousand affected customers statewide affected by line of severe thunderstorms on Friday morning, a handful of elected leaders got a chance to see how the Jackson-based utility is handling the situation.
Dan Malone, senior vice president of engineering services for Consumers Energy, led the tour of a mobile command center set up in a vacant lot owned by Georgetown Township that briefed, then dispatched crews of electrical workers and tree removers to the areas hardest hit by the storm, which included Ottawa, Kent, Barry and Eaton counties. Among the lawmakers on hand was US House Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland), state House Rep. Jim Lilly (R-Park Twp.) and Roger Victory (R-Hudsonville), and former state lawmaker Amanda Price (R-Park Twp.), who is now a legislative staffer for State Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-West Olive).
Malone said that the dispatch center, along with improved efficiencies in handling such widespread power outages, has cut down the number of customers still without electricity from a peak of 142 thousand to approximately 59 thousand as of late Saturday afternoon. The majority of those still in the dark should get power restored by late Sunday night, but some of hardest hit areas, including the western portion of Grand Rapids, may not have electricity until sometime on Monday.
Ideal weather also contributed to the restoration efforts by Consumers crews, augmented by those from Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois.
