Amid ice storm recovery, Whitmer seeks federal emergency aid for Northern Michigan
NORTHERN MICHIGAN — In a Monday, April 14 update, Great Lakes Energy (GLE) and Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-Op (PIE&G) reported they have restored power to nearly all of their members who lost power during the destructive March 29-30 ice storms.
GLE reported that 98% of its members now have power, while PIE&G reported that 88% of its members have had service restored.
The two utility companies said the small amount of outages that remain are mostly due to extensive damage in the area, including inaccessible properties, at seasonal residences, or are due to specific individual property concerns, which could require on-site work by an electrician and an electrical inspection before power can be restored.
'We are close to restoring power to all our members who lost power during the unprecedented ice storm, and we will continue this unprecedented rebuild effort until the job is complete,' said Shaun Lamp, president and CEO of GLE, in the update. 'I am proud of the hard work and dedication of crew members, volunteers and employees to get to this milestone in our rebuilding and restoration effort.'
More: Up North residents hit by ice storm endure cold, power outages: 'How are we gonna manage?'
With some still without power more than two weeks after storms swept through the region felling trees, closing roads and darkening homes, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seeking federal assistance to deal with the damage.
On Friday, April 11, Whitmer requested a Presidential Emergency Declaration for the State of Michigan, the 12 northern counties included in her state of emergency and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.
Whitmer made the official request after meeting with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, April 9 to share an update on damage assessment and recovery efforts. If approved by the president, the EM Declaration would authorize up to $5 million in immediate public assistance to support emergency efforts, including debris management needs.
'Approval of this request would bring critical federal resources to support local response operations that are still ongoing,' said Col. James F. Grady II, director of the Michigan State Police, in a statement. 'This is a necessary step while we work toward the broader disaster declaration that will bring additional relief.'
To see more state resources regarding ice storm recovery, visit michigan.gov/msp/divisions/emhsd/2025-northern-michigan-ice-storm.
— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Whitmer seeks Presidential Emergency Declaration for Northern Michigan
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