GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids neighborhood plagued by power outages is being targeted with tree work and utility upgrades to reduce what one resident calls a “frequent and frustrating cycle.’’
A power outage for about five hours on Tuesday affected more than 400 Consumers Energy customers in a wedge-shaped area of the city’s Northeast Side.
“We know our customers are frustrated,’’ Consumers Energy spokesman Roger Morgenstern said. “We’re trying to improve the situation.’’
A combination of trees and storms caused Tuesday’s outage, Morgenstern said. While not every house was affected, this pocket of the city near Riverside Park has seen 18 outages in the last three years.
Consumers has identified 753 customers affected by outages in an area loosely bordered by Three Mile Road to the north, Eleanor Street to the south, Monroe Avenue to the west and Foster Avenue to the east.
It is a problem longtime resident Pat Pritchard knows all too well.
“I’ve always said I’ve never lived in a place that’s lost power as much as this house does,’’ said Pritchard, a 30-year resident of the Riverside Gardens neighborhood east of Riverside Park. “It’s an aggravation to have my power out.’’
Neighbor Jan Nemmers agrees. She’s lived on Homer Street NE for 40 years and says the outages have become more frequent.
“Every time a little storm comes along, power goes out,’’ Nemmers said. “The last couple of years have been very bad.’’
Pritchard and Nemmers are among 753 Consumers Energy customers who recently got letters from the Jackson-based utility outlining a strategy to “improve reliability going forward.’’
The 2019 strategy includes cleaning trees and vegetation away from existing electric lines. Crews will also replace worn and damaged poles and add new equipment. Upgraded wire will be installed “for improved reliability.’’
“We can put in stronger wire that will have less of a conflict with trees,’’ Morgenstern said.
Crews from Trees, Inc. this week began pruning east of Riverside Park. Trees with a blue mark on the trunk will be trimmed. Trees with a blue ‘x’ will be removed. Sycamore, silver maple and Siberian elm are among the trees getting attention.
“It’s what we call tree-wire conflict,’’ Morgenstern said. “We’ve got trees growing into wires; you’ve got trees that grow faster than our tree-trimming cycle.’’
In 2020, Consumers Energy will continue with equipment replacement and upgrades. Some electric lines will be relocated. The two-year project is slated to cost $600,000, Morgenstern said.
“This is obviously a very high priority for us right now,’’ he said. “I can’t say it’s the worst we have in the state, but it’s a challenging one.’’
Consumers Energy serves 1.8 million customers in Michigan, and “we do have pockets around the state where we have these issues,’’ he said.
“Residents will see crews in the neighborhood in the upcoming weeks,’’ Morgenstern said. “Some customers may see a brief service interruption, but they will be contacted prior to the interruption taking place.’’
Pritchard is prepared; she has a generator at the ready.
“And it almost always comes back on sooner than they say, but you don’t know; it’s a guessing game,’’ she said. “So, yes. It’s irritating.’’
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