Jackson, MI – Consumers Energy announced that it is proposing a targeted undergrounding pilot program pending approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission.
The program is meant to help the company better understand how to bury power lines in a cost-effective way to strengthen Michigan’s electric grid and reduce outages.
Based on results from other states and energy providers that have moved overhead lines underground, Consumers Energy estimates it can improve resiliency 90 percent along circuits where lines are buried.
The pilot program will target circuits in Genesee, Livingston, Allegan, Ottawa, Montcalm, and Iosco counties that have frequent, lengthy outages and are in areas with dense trees, which are often responsible for the outages.
Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider, aims to underground about 400 miles of line annually. Today, about 15 percent of Consumers Energy lines are underground.
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