Consumers Energy is planning a power outage for more than 2,300 customers in Byron and parts of Shiawassee County beginning around 11 p.m. Friday, May 29, with service expected to stay off until about 7 a.m. Saturday morning.
The utility said the overnight outage is tied to equipment upgrades with ITC Michigan and is meant to improve long-term reliability. Officials said the work is needed to help prevent larger outages in the future, but the timing is likely to frustrate customers heading into Memorial Day weekend, when many households are trying to keep food cold, host guests or rely on overnight medical equipment.
Customers in the affected area should have already received mailed notices explaining the planned outage. Consumers Energy is also urging residents to sign up for outage alerts online so they can get updates if repair timelines or restoration estimates change.
The planned work comes as the utility is also dealing with a separate problem: an unexpected equipment failure caused an outage in parts of Mundy Township in Genesee County, and crews were working to restore that service at the same time they prepared for the overnight shutdown in Shiawassee County.
For the people who lose power late Friday, the tradeoff is straightforward. The outage is brief, but it lands at one of the busiest times of the year, and the company is asking customers to accept the inconvenience now in hopes of avoiding a bigger blackout later.
