Consumers Energy invests $12.6M to reduce Midland County power outages

Consumers Energy said it will have spent $12.6 million in and around Midland County by the end of 2026 as part of its Reliability Action Plan, a modernization initiative in partnership with the Michigan Public Service Commission.

“We’re focusing on taking action that will reduce the number and length of power outages for the community,” said Brian Wheeler, media relations specialist for Consumers.

Two of these projects include $3.7 million in equipment upgrades at substations on Letts Road and at Camelot Lake, which is in Isabella County just west of the Midland County line.

The upgrades are supposed to help improve electric reliability at a local level as it travels from power plants to businesses and residential buildings. According to Wheeler, over $200,000 of these funds have been spent just to keep animals out.

“You might hear occasionally about squirrels causing power outages by coming in contact with equipment,” Wheeler said. “We work to prevent that from happening.”

Another $5.2 million is allocated for electric pole and pole equipment upgrades across the county — which includes replacing wooden poles with metal and steel options that have a longer lifespan, as well as ground fortification and cable upgrades.

ATR loops have been another priority in the region this year, with over $700,000 spent to add them to power lines across the county. These 800-pound machines are used to lower the number of people affected by power outages and shorten the length of outages through rerouting electricity and automatically turning power back on where possible.

“It’s not easy to break down how much has been spent and how much will be spent since the projects are on different timetables,” Wheeler said. “It’s safe to say we’ve spent a majority so far, with the rest to be spent through December.”

Recently, Consumers announced it will be replacing its Karn plant in Bay County by 2031 with a new combustion turbine power plant as another way to prevent power outages with higher reliability. The new plant is expected to add 400-600 union construction positions and up to 20 permanent positions once operational.

On the same day, the company also announced a purchase agreement with Midland Cogeneration Venture to add a higher electric capacity to the county. Both announcements are a part of the company’s 20-year Energy Supply Plan, which the company said will deliver reliable and affordable energy access across the state.

Consumers Energy is the largest utility company in Michigan, serving 6.8 million residents. It is Midland County’s primary electric provider.