Michigan Regulators To Probe Utilities On Power Outages

power-lines-safe-2-3
power-lines-safe-2-3

From the Associated Press — The Michigan Public Service Commission approved an order Wednesday to collect data on electric companies’ response and preparedness after over 1 million residents were left without power due to storms earlier in August. Michigan has seen multiple storms this summer including a series of storms from August 10-12 that, according to DTE Energy, included windspeeds of over 60 mph, taking down 3,000 of its powerlines. The order will direct all the electric companies under the commission’s regulation to submit data on the duration and frequency of outages, identify areas that are prone to or resilient from outages and other factors in order to harden Michigan’s electrical infrastructure and make it less prone to weather-related outages.