Boyne City, MI – Great Lakes Energy (GLE) crews are continuing to restore power to members across northern Michigan following the unprecedented ice storm that caused widespread and catastrophic damage earlier this week.
Over the past 24 hours, crews restored service to more than 10,000 members, including critical infrastructure and large business accounts. However, damage continues to evolve as trees and limbs weakened by the storm continue to fall, causing new outages even as restoration progresses.
“This isn’t just a restoration—it’s a rebuild,” said Shaun Lamp, President & CEO of GLE. “Crews are replacing hundreds of poles, transformers, and miles of wire. The work is complex and time-intensive, and our teams are giving it everything they’ve got.”
GLE has placed nearly 400 new poles and 30 transformers in the past day. The cooperative currently has more than 850 active outage events, each impacting a different group of members and requiring individual repair and rebuilding before power can be restored.
To meet the need, more than 800 contractors from across the U.S. and Canada have joined the 300 GLE employees in the field. Additional reinforcements continue to arrive daily. GLE is also working closely with local, state, and federal officials and emergency responders to expedite the work and address critical needs in each community.
“We appreciate the patience and understanding of our members as we work to restore power safely to our communities,” said Lamp.
Safety Reminder: Always treat downed lines as energized and stay at least 25 feet away. Do not attempt to remove trees or debris from lines.
Generator Safety: Use generators only outdoors in well-ventilated areas. Be sure they are connected properly to avoid dangerous backfeeding that can harm utility crews. Check your owner’s manual for maintenance guidance if you’ve been running a generator for extended periods.
GLE is committed to keeping members informed. Restoration updates are available through multiple channels online, by phone, or on Facebook.
To report a new outage, members can use their online account, the app, or call 888-485-2537.
Visit gtlakes.com/power-outages/ for updates.
