Consumers Energy Takes Path Of Least Resistance In Restoration Efforts

Consumers Energy customers that will be in the dark for Christmas now have every right to bit-...I mean, complain. Today, the utility giant released a power restoration estimated timetable. Go ahead, take a look at their gameplan, and see where their efforts will begin. Here are links to recent numbers of customers without power, county by county: Lansing Area; Grand Rapids/West Michigan.

Now that you've seen the restoration itinerary, and where the greatest number of affected customers are, are you asking the same thing I am? "WTF???!!!"

So, let's get this right...mlive.com reports just over 2,100 Saginaw County folks in the dark; Allegan and Kent Counties combined (mind you, not the geographical Kent County breakdown listed by Consumers...the whole damn thing!!) have just under 16, 000 without power tonight. Apparently, the just under 12,000 in Kent County have to be broken down into four different service dates. The Northern Kent folks, along with the combined, estimated 6,000 in Allegan/Saginaw receive first priority...Tuesday. (That's right, Allegan County...Grand Rapids' version of Dixie-land!!) Then, the combined 13,000-ish in the "oh-so populated" four county area of Gratiot, Ionia, Montcalm and Eastern Kent might actually see something from Jolly Ol' Saint Consumers under their now-unlit tree on Christmas Day.

Meanwhile, the largest population centers in Consumers' service area get to wait until...well, who knows when. Hopefully, before 2014, but surely, not by Christmas Day. Nearly 20,000 alone in Barry County are without Consumers' electricity services. Then, we have the over 85,000 combined residents in the major population counties of Calhoun, Shiawassee, Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Genesee, Livingston and Oakland bringing up the rear (maybe "taking" is a more fitting verb). It will be Friday or Saturday, at the earliest, for the majority of those without lights. Merry Christmas to you!!

Mind you, the crews braving the elements, working hard to make the repairs did not create this battle plan. (Give those guys and gals the kudos they deserve, along with some holiday cheer!!) It was, of course, the fat-cat big-wigs that formulated the itinerary.

I'm sorry, in my opinion, wouldn't you try to settle the biggest area of concern, especially this time of the year, with so many paying customers being affected? Apparently not! But, what do we expect? Remember the "Brown-out of 2003"? I guess my high school science teacher was right...electricity flows much better down the path of least resistance. Thanks for putting that theory to the test, again, Consumers Energy Management!!!