Crews replacing and installing hundreds of poles, transformers and miles of wire
BOYNE CITY, Mich. and ONAWAY, Mich. – Crews from Great Lakes Energy (GLE) and Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-Op (PIE&G) continue to make significant strides in efforts to restore power to members across northern Michigan following the recent unprecedented ice storm that caused widespread and catastrophic damage.
As of Saturday, April 5, GLE crews have:
- restored service to more than 11,985 families and businesses in the past two days alone
- restored service to critical infrastructure
- cleared roadways as well as fallen trees and limbs weakened by the storm
- installed nearly 400 new poles and 30 transformers
“This isn’t just a restoration — it’s a rebuild following a truly unprecedented and catastrophic weather event,” said
Shaun Lamp, President & CEO of GLE. “Crews are replacing hundreds of poles, transformers and miles of wire. The work is difficult and time-intensive, and our dedicated teams are working diligently restore power to our families.”
As of Saturday, April 5, PIE&G crews have:
- restored service to 4,527 families on Friday
- restored service to critical infrastructure
“We will not rest until we have turned the lights back on for every single PIE&G household,” said
Allan Berg, PIE&G CEO. “Many of our employees – myself included – are still without power and we recognize the terrible devastation this unprecedented storm has caused for our members and our local communities.”
More than 1,200 contractors are in the field with employees from both utilities. Additional reinforcements continue to arrive daily. Both utilities are working closely with local, state, and federal officials and emergency responders to expedite the work and address critical needs in each community.
“We are incredibly appreciative of the help we continue to receive from our local, state and federal officials during this unprecedented restoration effort,” Lamp said.
“This is a true team effort laser focused on keeping restoration efforts moving as fast as possible and bringing back power to all our members as quickly as possible,” Berg said.
Visit gtlakes.com/power-outages and pieg.com/spring-2025-storm-updates for updates.
