Thank you notes and pictures from Northern Michigan students are displayed for co-op linemen and crew members working on power restoration efforts.

Co-ops are grateful for the outpouring of support that crews, employees, and linemen have received from schools, organizations, and individuals across Northern Michigan.

Some of the groups, organizations and schools that helped support co-op employees who worked diligently over recent weeks to restore power across Northern Michigan include:

• Rogers City Area Schools students made sandwiches, packed lunches, cleaned and did inventory,
• The Onaway Community Chamber of Commerce provided and prepared meals for linemen,
• The VFW Post 5857 Onaway Michigan helped provide and prepare meals for the lineman,
• Awakon Federal Credit Union donated drinks, food and personal care items for crews
• The Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union donated drinks, food and personal care items for crews,
• The Lake County Road Commission provided a trailer full of donations, including water, food, sports drinks and more,
• Schools in Petoskey, Alanson, Boyne City, and Gaylord had students offer crews handwritten cards and letters,
• Otsego County Fairgrounds donated space for Storm Camp and Otsego County and City of Gaylord personnel provided support,
• The Michigan Department of Transportation and Ice Mountain provided a large shipment of bottled water,
• Tom’s Family Market in Northern Michigan opened early, stayed late and helped facilitate donations,
• Preston Feather Building Centers donated food for crews.

99.9% of GLE members now have power (66,708 members impacted by the storm now have power)

87% of all Truestreamers have internet service

• replaced more than 3,155 poles since March 31
• replaced more than 690 transformers

96% of PIE&G members now have power (33,815 members restored so far)

67% of PIE&G members now have internet service restored

• replaced 1,542 broken poles
• coordinated 261 crews and 972 personnel in the field to restore power

“Devastating events like the recent ice storm call upon us to come together and that’s exactly what we we’ve seen with officials from both parties taking time to reach out and support our crews during this unprecedented effort,” said John Kran, president & CEO of the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA). “We are deeply appreciative of the time and attention from so many leaders at the local, state and federal levels.”

At Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA), we are proud to recognize the hard work and dedication of linemen and crew members across Northern Michigan who have been working day and night to restore power and internet following the recent catastrophic ice storm. To honor these individuals, National Lineman Appreciation Day is Friday, April 18.

“As National Lineman Appreciation Day approaches, we’d like to say thank you,” said John Kran, president & CEO of MECA. “The hard work of linemen does not go unnoticed, and we are proud of those who continue to show up each and every day to restore power to Northern Michigan.”

99.6% of GLE members now have power (625 members restored on Tuesday)

86% of all GLE Truestreamers have internet service

• replaced more than 3,115 total poles since March 31
• restored 4,278 line miles impacted
• more than 700 vehicles and equipment still in use
• coordinated more than 1,000 personnel in the field to restore power and internet on Monday

94% of PIE&G members now have power (32,958 members restored so far)

• replaced 1,520 broken poles
• coordinated 788 vehicles and equipment
• coordinated 379 crews and 1,359 personnel in the field to restore power

67% of PIE&G members now have internet service restored

% of GLE members with power

% of PIE&G members with power

Combined total number of outages 2,779

Great Lakes Energy (GLE) and Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-Op (PIE&G) crews have restored power to a vast majority of members in Northern Michigan who lost power during the recent catastrophic ice storm. The co-ops pledge to keep working until all members are restored.

GLE and PIE&G have a long history of partnership and that’s been especially true in recent weeks since the catastrophic ice storm began. GLE reported on Tuesday that 99% of its members and PIE&G reported that 91% of its members now have power. So far, it’s estimated the storm caused more than $175 million in damage, according to estimates by the co-ops as they now move into the recovery and investigation phase.

“The progress we’re seeing in restoration numbers has been made possible by the strong partnerships among the co-ops across the state, and our strong partnerships with local businesses and organizations, public safety organizations, as well as our elected leaders,” said Shaun Lamp, president & CEO of GLE. “We are moving toward restoring internet service to our members and are continuing to work to restore power to any members still without power.”

99% of GLE members now have power (1,244 members restored on Monday)

• 5,948 internet outages have been restored since the storm began — 336 of those were restored on Monday
• replaced more than 2,965 total poles since March 31
• restored 4,209 line miles impacted
• coordinated more than 1,000 vehicles and equipment
• coordinated more than 1,300 personnel in the field to restore power on Monday

“This ice storm completely knocked out our entire system for the first time in history, leaving all of our members without power,” said Allan Berg, PIE&G CEO. “We are proud to now have achieved 91% of restoration. We will continue working on restoration and recovery and will continue to work in remote and hard-to-reach areas in rural Northern Michigan.”

91% of PIE&G members now have power (31,943 members restored so far)

• • This percentage is significant because PIE&G’s entire network was down at the beginning of the storm – the first time in company history
• 63% of PIE&G members now have internet service restored
• replaced 1,477 broken poles
• coordinated 788 vehicles and equipment
• coordinated 379 crews and 1,359 personnel in the field to restore power

We applaud other electric cooperatives from across the state who have lent staff, volunteers, line crews and other support to bolster this unprecedented restoration effort.  This is testament to the co-ops’ mission of “cooperation among cooperatives,” a guiding principle for non-profit electric cooperatives who work shoulder to shoulder to bring members back online.

Cooperation among cooperatives is one of our core principles, and we are truly proud of the work of co-ops across the state for upholding these values and working together following the recent ice storm.

% of GLE members with power

% of PIE&G members with power

Combined total number of outages 5,815

Great Lakes Energy (GLE) and Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-Op have restored power to nearly all members in Northern Michigan who lost power during the recent catastrophic ice storm, allowing them to redeploy and refocus some restoration crews on restoring internet service.

The smattering of outages that remain are mostly due to extensive damage in the area including inaccessible properties, at seasonal residences, or are due to specific individual property concerns, which could require on-site work by an electrician and an electrical inspection before the co-ops can restore power.

GLE and PIE&G crews are now also working to restore or replace fiber-optic cables for internet and voice services, which were also heavily impacted by the storm. Internet service provided by fiber-optic cables can only be reattached to the electric infrastructure after poles and wires are rebuilt, which reflects both co-ops’ steady progress in restoring power.

98% of GLE members now have power (1,932 members restored on Sunday)

76% of GLE members now have internet service restored

• replaced more than 2,270 total poles since March 31
• restored 4,150 line miles impacted
• coordinated more than 1,000 vehicles and equipment
• coordinated more than 1,500 personnel in the field to restore power on Sunday

“This storm knocked out our entire system for the first time in our history, and we are well on our way to reaching the finish line. We are experiencing high winds today that are making restorals difficult, but we will not stop working until all power is back on,” said Allan Berg, PIEG CEO.

88% of PIE&G members now have power (30,905 members restored so far)

58% of PIE&G members now have internet service restored

• replaced 1,470 broken poles
• coordinated 788 vehicles and equipment
• coordinated 408 crews and 1,426 personnel in the field to restore power

The co-ops applauded efforts by state officials and local leaders to help the region, including by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who has requested a Presidential Emergency Declaration for the state of Michigan, 12 northern counties and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.

Whitmer’s request followed her visit to Washington, D.C., where she met with President Donald Trump on April 9 to provide information about the damage caused by the ice storm and recovery efforts.

With Trump’s approval, the declaration would authorize up to $5 million in immediate public assistance to support emergency efforts, including debris management needs.

Our teams are committed to continue to work diligently until the job is done.

% of GLE members with power

% of PIE&G members with power

Combined total number of outages 6,742

Michigan co-ops are approaching full restoration following the most devastating storm in our 80-year history. This historic storm has drawn national attention, with coverage on The Weather Channel and an interview on Friday with GLE CEO Shaun Lamp providing updates on our restoration progress.

98% of GLE members now have power (1,739 members restored on Saturday)

• More than 1,200 contractors continue to work alongside 300 dedicated employees

87% of PIE&G members now have power (30,468 members restored so far)

• 1,430 personnel in the field working to restore power

Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op (PIE&G) remains on track with its original restoration timeline. Most areas are nearing completion, with the exception of individual service lines and the Lewiston area, where destruction was especially severe. Due to the complexity of the damage in Lewiston, full restoration is expected to take an additional 2–3 days.

We appreciate your continued patience and support as crews close in on the final stages of this extraordinary restoration effort.

% of GLE members with power

% of PIE&G members with power

Combined total number of outages 11,247

Video credit: Abby Moran

Great Lakes Energy (GLE) and Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-Op continue to work through the weekend to restore power to Northern Michigan, following the catastrophic and unprecedented ice storm that left many without power in rural and remote areas.

Crews are committed to continue to work diligently until the job is done. And we are committed to keeping you informed about our progress. MECA and it’s co-ops have deployed hundreds of volunteers, crews, and staff from other electrical cooperatives to support this unprecedented effort.

96% of GLE members now have power (1,865 members restored on Friday)

• replaced more than 2,275 total poles since March 31
• restored 3,772 line miles impacted
• coordinated more than 1,100 vehicles and equipment
• coordinated more than 1,615 personnel in the field to restore power

PIE&G is working around the clock to bring every member back online as quickly as possible. In addition to daytime restoration efforts, 20 crews are operating overnight to focus on service drops and address issues in the hardest-hit areas. This day-and-night commitment ensures that no time is wasted, and the co-op is leveraging every available resource to restore power safely and efficiently.

81% of PIE&G members now have power (28,612 members restored so far)

• replaced 1,414 broken poles
• coordinated 788 vehicles and equipment
• coordinated 406 crews and 1,367 personnel in the field to restore power

% of GLE members with power

% of PIE&G members with power

Combined total number of outages 16,311

At Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA), we are deeply appreciative of the strong support we have received from communities across the state for our co-op workers and crew members who are working diligently to restore power after the recent ice storm caused catastrophic damage across Northern Michigan.

GLE and PIE&G have received help from hundreds of people, including:

• Rogers City Area Schools: Students helped with making sandwiches and packing lunches for linemen
• The Bee Hive Cafe (Kalkaska): Employees donated lunch and dinner to crew members
• Onaway Community Chamber of Commerce: Employees helped provide and prepare meals for linemen
• C. Pizza (Boyne City): Employees donated pizza to crew members
• VFW Post 5857 (Onaway): Members helped provide and prepare meals for linemen
• Family Fare: Donated plastic bags and cases of water to crew members
• Awakon Federal Credit Union: Employees donated food, drinks and personal care items for crews in Alpena
• Taste of Heaven Bakery (Boyne City): Employees donated food to crew members
• Alcona Area Credit Union: Employees donated food, drinks and personal care items for crews
• Tom’s Family Market (Onaway): Opened store early and stayed late so crews could get supplies, and helped facilitate donations to crews

Additionally, the following restaurants have helped keep more than 1,000 crew members fed:

• Manzana’s Restaurant (Onaway)
• Woodwinds Restaurant (Onaway)
• Ma’s Diner (Onaway)

GLE expects to have power fully restored to the vast majority of members by Sunday, April 13, after crews made headway earlier this week on rebuilding core infrastructure and getting main power lines back online.

95% of GLE members now have power (2,365 members restored on Thursday)

• restored power to The Brook in Gaylord, an independent and assisted living facility
• replaced more than 2,025 total poles since March 31
• restored 3,544 line miles impacted
• coordinated more than 1,100 vehicles and equipment
• coordinated more than 1,615 personnel in the field to restore power

“Our crew members are working through difficult conditions to restore power to our members across Northern Michigan,” said Shaun Lamp, president & CEO of GLE. “Our community’s support has made such a difference in keeping morale up and keeping crew members motivated to get the job done. We are truly thankful.”

PIE&G expects most members to awaken to restored power by Monday morning, April 14. However, service for some residences may be delayed if storm damage prevents access or requires additional repairs to individual service drops.

74% of PIE&G members now have power (25,777 members restored so far)

• replaced 1,312 broken poles
• coordinated 373 crews and 1,275 personnel in the field to restore power
• coordinated 788 vehicles and equipment
• restored power to Bois Blanc Island including the post office, outpost, township hall and school district

% of GLE members with power

% of PIE&G members with power

Combined total number of outages 19,489

Great Lakes Energy (GLE) and Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-Op (PIE&G), expect to have most back online by Monday, April 14.

Through the hard work of their crews, team members and leaders, those energy co-ops are reporting significant progress to restore power to members across rural and remote areas of Northern Michigan.

GLE expects to have power fully restored to the vast majority of members by Sunday, April 13. PIE&G told its members they should expect to have power restored by Monday, April 14, except for those seasonal residences that currently remain inaccessible because of downed trees or other storm damage.

93% of GLE members now have power (3,470 members restored on Wednesday)

• replaced 1,789 total poles since March 31
• restored 3,410 line miles impacted
• coordinated more than 1,100 vehicles and equipment
• coordinated 1,208 line workers and more than 250 tree workers in the field to restore power

72% of PIE&G members now have power (25,211 members restored so far)

• replaced 1,144 broken poles
• restored 1,263 miles of line
• coordinated 360 crews and 1,293 personnel in the field to restore power

Both GLE and PIE&G are deeply appreciative of the help they continue to receive from elected leaders and state officials, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and House Speaker Matt Hall, who visited Washington, D.C., this week to advocate for resources for recovery efforts at a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.