Michigan residents waited longer in 2023 for power outage restorations than elsewhere in the U.S.
If you have noticed long waits for electricity to be restored in Michigan after a power outage happens, research does track that data on a year-to-year basis.
And during 2023, Michigan's electricity reliability was the worst in the nation, according to a new report from the Citizens Utility Board.
The organization ranks all 50 states and the District of Columbia in a number of consumer-related metrics. Its latest report, while issued Sept. 5, relies on 2023 U.S. Energy Information Administration data, as that is the most recent calendar year where comparable information was available.
On average, it took about 12 hours to restore power to a Michigan customer during 2023, "over twice as long as any other neighboring state," the report said.
Indiana customers waited for just over five hours on average.
Ohio customers waited for just under five hours on average.
Much of the waiting time in all three states was attributed to the impact of "major event days" such as severe weather.
"These days – when incidents like thunderstorms or blizzards cause widespread power losses – actually reflect the customer experience. Customers do not get to exclude major event days from their lives – they must live with the long power outages that result," the Citizens Utility Board says.
In the meantime, the report said, Michigan residential customers are "paying high prices for this unreliable service." The average price paid for residential electricity ranked 41st in the country during 2023 and was also higher than in any other Midwest state.
The Michigan Public Service Commission said it expects the 2024 data will show a more reliable power grid in Michigan, as there was significantly milder weather that year in the state, compared to the previous year.
"On both reliability and affordability, the data contained in the most recent CUB report show real progress is being made," Michigan Public Service Commission Chair Dan Scripps said. "But the report also shows that Michigan utilities continue to struggle with extreme weather events, including the ice storms that took place in 2023."
