Onaway, Michigan (March 30, 2025) – Mother Nature has hit Northeast Michigan with an unprecedented ice storm, leaving roughly 32,000 members without service. Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op (PIE&G) has deployed all available crew members and called in emergency assistance from contractors and mutual aid from around the state to quickly and safely restore power. The extensive ice has taken down trees, making roads impassable. There is severe tree damage, broken poles, and infrastructure damage, causing restoration delays and safety issues.

“This storm is unlike anything we have experienced. While we diligently prepare for any weather event, this event is extreme. It only takes a quarter of an inch of ice to cause damage, and we have areas with over half an inch of ice or more. The lines can fall when this happens, which causes further damage and outages. We are doing everything we can to handle emergencies while keeping our crews and the public safe,” says President and CEO Allan Berg. “We expect this outage to extend through several days and encourage our members to seek shelter and plan accordingly. Please allow our crews to do what they do best while they safely restore power to the community. We greatly appreciate everyone’s understanding during this time.”

For updates, visit https://pieg.com/outage-center/ and https://www.facebook.com/PIEGCooperative. To report an outage, call 1-800-423-6634 or 989-733-8515.

Important Safety Reminders:

  • For the safety of our members and staff, please do not approach or engage with line crews working to restore power.
  • Please avoid downed power lines and trees, as well as limbs hanging on the lines.

During extended outages:

  • Individuals reliant on medical equipment should establish an emergency backup plan.
  • If you are in need of a shelter, please contact our main office so we can advise of a location near you.
  • Members using generators should ensure they are correctly connected with a transfer switch so they do not backfeed into the power lines and cause harm to workers.
  • Refrain from using a gas range for heating or charcoal as an indoor heat or cooking source.

Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op extends its support and resources to approximately 40,000 member-owners across a nine-county region in Northeast Michigan. Our headquarters is located in Onaway, Michigan.

End of release.

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