{"success":true,"data":{"pressRelease":{"id":"150047","rtpr_id":"nPn3WnsW6a-20260922","ticker":"CMS","exchange":"NYSE","all_tickers":["CMS"],"title":"Consumers Energy Makes Improvements to 2026 Storm Response","author":"PR Newswire","published_at":"2026-09-22T16:02:58.914Z","article_body":"Consumers Energy Makes Improvements to 2026 Storm Response\nPR Newswire\n\nJACKSON, Mich., Sept. 22, 2026\n\nDespite challenging weather conditions, customers spent less time without\npower in large storms this year\n\nJACKSON, Mich., Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A Consumers Energy analysis\nreleased today showed the energy provider's customer-centered storm execution\nresulted in faster restoration times during a vast majority of storms this\nyear. The analysis found Consumers Energy customers spent less time without\npower during March and June storms than they did in similarly impactful storms\nin 2023 and 2025.\n\n\"In the last three years, Consumers Energy has accelerated its investment in\ntree trimming, installing stronger poles and equipment, grid technology,\nadvanced weather forecasting, and the positioning of crews and delegating\nresources, which have proven to speed restoration for our customers,\" said\nNorm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy's officers in charge of storm\nresponse.\n\nWhen damaging winds, snow and ice swept across the state in March 2026, 80% of\nthe 340,000 impacted customers were restored within 24 hours. That's 16%\nbetter than an even more impactful storm the March prior and a 26% improvement\nfrom the catastrophic February 2023 storm.\n\nSimilarly, in June 2026, when 238,000 customers lost power due to tornadoes\nand damaging winds, 91% of customers were restored within 24 hours. That's 35%\nbetter than even more impactful storms in May 2025 and August 2023.\n\n\"Consumers Energy knows being without power is an inconvenience. That's why we\nhave acted on the opportunity to further strengthen storm readiness and\ncustomer experience improvements so we can do better,\" said Greg Salisbury,\nsenior vice president, electric distribution for Consumers Energy. \"This\nanalysis proves our customer-centered strategy is working and we're delivering\non the commitment of our Reliability Roadmap.\"\n\nEven during the period of severe weather that followed a pattern of several\ndays of extreme heat July 1-7 of this year, preliminary data shows 71% of all\nimpacted customers were restored in 24 hours and 87% of customers were\nrestored within 48 hours. Restoration was even faster during the most recent\nSeptember 3-4 severe weather event, with over 90% of affected customers\nrestored within 8 hours and 97% were restored in 12 hours.\n\n\"At the end of the day, keeping the lights on is job #1 for us,\" Salisbury\nadded. \"We'll continue to look for ways to utilize all the resources at our\ndisposal to affirm that commitment.\"\n\nConsumers Energy is Michigan's largest energy provider, providing natural gas\nand/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state's 10 million residents in all\n68 Lower Peninsula counties. We are committed to delivering reliable and\naffordable energy to our customers 24/7.\n\nLearn the facts on Consumers Energy's commitment to reliable, affordable\nenergy at ConsumersEnergy.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4780303-1&h=885144112&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.consumersenergy.com%2Fabout-us%2Fwho-we-are%2Freliable-energy&a=ConsumersEnergy.com)\n \n\nView original content to download\nmultimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumers-energy-makes-improvements-to-2026-storm-response-302886429.html\n(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumers-energy-makes-improvements-to-2026-storm-response-302886429.html)\n\nSOURCE Consumers Energy\n\n\n\nMatt Johnson, 517-888-1539 or matt.f.johnson@cmsenergy.com.\n\nPhoto: \nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS391782/Consumers-Energy-Logo.jpg?id=OA2964129\n\nCopyright (c) 2026 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved.","article_body_html":"","raw_payload":{"data":{"id":"nPn3WnsW6a-20260922","title":"Consumers Energy Makes Improvements to 2026 Storm Response","author":"PR Newswire","ticker":"CMS","created":"2026-09-22T16:02:58.914Z","tickers":["CMS"],"exchange":"NYSE","article_body":"Consumers Energy Makes Improvements to 2026 Storm Response\nPR Newswire\n\nJACKSON, Mich., Sept. 22, 2026\n\nDespite challenging weather conditions, customers spent less time without\npower in large storms this year\n\nJACKSON, Mich., Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A Consumers Energy analysis\nreleased today showed the energy provider's customer-centered storm execution\nresulted in faster restoration times during a vast majority of storms this\nyear. The analysis found Consumers Energy customers spent less time without\npower during March and June storms than they did in similarly impactful storms\nin 2023 and 2025.\n\n\"In the last three years, Consumers Energy has accelerated its investment in\ntree trimming, installing stronger poles and equipment, grid technology,\nadvanced weather forecasting, and the positioning of crews and delegating\nresources, which have proven to speed restoration for our customers,\" said\nNorm Kapala, one of Consumers Energy's officers in charge of storm\nresponse.\n\nWhen damaging winds, snow and ice swept across the state in March 2026, 80% of\nthe 340,000 impacted customers were restored within 24 hours. That's 16%\nbetter than an even more impactful storm the March prior and a 26% improvement\nfrom the catastrophic February 2023 storm.\n\nSimilarly, in June 2026, when 238,000 customers lost power due to tornadoes\nand damaging winds, 91% of customers were restored within 24 hours. That's 35%\nbetter than even more impactful storms in May 2025 and August 2023.\n\n\"Consumers Energy knows being without power is an inconvenience. That's why we\nhave acted on the opportunity to further strengthen storm readiness and\ncustomer experience improvements so we can do better,\" said Greg Salisbury,\nsenior vice president, electric distribution for Consumers Energy. \"This\nanalysis proves our customer-centered strategy is working and we're delivering\non the commitment of our Reliability Roadmap.\"\n\nEven during the period of severe weather that followed a pattern of several\ndays of extreme heat July 1-7 of this year, preliminary data shows 71% of all\nimpacted customers were restored in 24 hours and 87% of customers were\nrestored within 48 hours. Restoration was even faster during the most recent\nSeptember 3-4 severe weather event, with over 90% of affected customers\nrestored within 8 hours and 97% were restored in 12 hours.\n\n\"At the end of the day, keeping the lights on is job #1 for us,\" Salisbury\nadded. \"We'll continue to look for ways to utilize all the resources at our\ndisposal to affirm that commitment.\"\n\nConsumers Energy is Michigan's largest energy provider, providing natural gas\nand/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state's 10 million residents in all\n68 Lower Peninsula counties. We are committed to delivering reliable and\naffordable energy to our customers 24/7.\n\nLearn the facts on Consumers Energy's commitment to reliable, affordable\nenergy at ConsumersEnergy.com\n(https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4780303-1&h=885144112&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.consumersenergy.com%2Fabout-us%2Fwho-we-are%2Freliable-energy&a=ConsumersEnergy.com)\n \n\nView original content to download\nmultimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumers-energy-makes-improvements-to-2026-storm-response-302886429.html\n(https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumers-energy-makes-improvements-to-2026-storm-response-302886429.html)\n\nSOURCE Consumers Energy\n\n\n\nMatt Johnson, 517-888-1539 or matt.f.johnson@cmsenergy.com.\n\nPhoto: \nhttps://mmx.prnewswire.com/media/MS391782/Consumers-Energy-Logo.jpg?id=OA2964129\n\nCopyright (c) 2026 PR Newswire Association,LLC. All Rights Reserved."},"type":"article","timestamp":"2026-09-22T16:02:58.947814996Z","server_sent_at_ms":1790092978947},"received_at":"2026-09-22T16:02:59.002Z","source_url":"https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/consumers-energy-makes-improvements-to-2026-storm-response-302886429.html"},"analysis":{"id":"138741","press_release_id":"150047","analysis_json":{"industry":{"label":"Electric Utilities","sector":"Utilities"},"redFlags":[],"eventType":"operations_update","narrative":"Consumers Energy released an analysis showing faster power-restoration times in 2026 storms, with 80% of 340,000 customers affected by the March storm restored within 24 hours.\n\nIn the June tornado and wind event affecting 238,000 customers, 91% were restored within 24 hours, a 35% improvement versus comparable 2023 and 2025 storms.\n\nThe utility credits three years of higher investment in tree trimming, stronger poles, grid technology, and crew positioning under its Reliability Roadmap.","sentiment":"bullish","agentHooks":{"shouldPost":false,"suggestedAngle":"Utility reliability metrics improving -- supportive of regulatory case for grid investment, but low immediate financial impact."},"keyFigures":{"customDimensions":{"sept_restored_within_8h":"over 90%","july_restored_within_24h":"71%","june_2026_impacted_customers":238000,"june_2026_restored_within_24h":"91%","march_2026_impacted_customers":340000,"march_2026_restored_within_24h":"80%"}},"quotedText":"This analysis proves our customer-centered strategy is working and we're delivering on the commitment of our Reliability Roadmap.","namedEntities":{"people":[{"name":"Norm Kapala","role":"officer in charge of storm response"},{"name":"Greg Salisbury","role":"senior vice president, electric distribution"}],"products":[],"companies":[{"name":"Consumers Energy","ticker":"CMS","relationship":"filer subsidiary/utility"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"materialImpact":{"score":2,"reasoning":"Positive operational PR showing faster storm-restoration times, but no financial figures, guidance, or regulatory action. It's a reputational/operational update, not a market-moving disclosure."},"tickerRelevance":{"others":[],"primary":"CMS"},"globalImportance":20,"audienceRelevance":15,"eventTypeSecondary":[],"importanceComponents":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap-utility","eventGravity":"routine-operations-PR","issuerAuthored":true}},"event_type":"operations_update","event_type_secondary":null,"sentiment":"bullish","material_impact_score":2,"narrative":"Consumers Energy released an analysis showing faster power-restoration times in 2026 storms, with 80% of 340,000 customers affected by the March storm restored within 24 hours.\n\nIn the June tornado and wind event affecting 238,000 customers, 91% were restored within 24 hours, a 35% improvement versus comparable 2023 and 2025 storms.\n\nThe utility credits three years of higher investment in tree trimming, stronger poles, grid technology, and crew positioning under its Reliability Roadmap.","key_figures":{"customDimensions":{"sept_restored_within_8h":"over 90%","july_restored_within_24h":"71%","june_2026_impacted_customers":238000,"june_2026_restored_within_24h":"91%","march_2026_impacted_customers":340000,"march_2026_restored_within_24h":"80%"}},"named_entities":{"people":[{"name":"Norm Kapala","role":"officer in charge of storm response"},{"name":"Greg Salisbury","role":"senior vice president, electric distribution"}],"products":[],"companies":[{"name":"Consumers Energy","ticker":"CMS","relationship":"filer subsidiary/utility"}],"dollarAmounts":[]},"model_name":"glm-5.3-flashx","prompt_hash":"sha256:727b4b9429a443af","schema_hash":"sha256:05005c02d9cffac9","created_at":"2026-09-22T17:07:50.726Z","global_importance":20,"audience_relevance":15,"importance_components":{"tickerTier":"mid-cap-utility","eventGravity":"routine-operations-PR","issuerAuthored":true}},"durationMs":8758,"modelName":"glm-5.3-flash"}}