“We are ready and willing to assist our colleagues out East as they recover from this significant storm,” said Guy Packard, Consumers Energy vice president of electric energy operations. “In the past, we were fortunate to be supported by out-of-state crews following major storms. This is an opportunity for us to return the favor to our fellow line workers.”
Packard said the decision to release both Consumers Energy employees and about 30 Michigan-based contractors who work on its electric system was made after analyzing weather forecasts. He said enough crews remain in-state to address any future weather-related outages. The contractor crews left Saturday and Sunday and are working in New Jersey.