Consumers Energy Launches On-line Outage Map

NEW SERVICE PROVIDES CUSTOMERS CURRENT INFORMATION ON OUTAGES AND SERVICE RESTORATION ESTIMATES

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Nov 16, 2012, 10:00 ET

JACKSON, Mich., Nov. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy has launched its first-ever on-line outage map which provides current information about electric outages and an estimate of when service will be restored. The new outage map is at: www.ConsumersEnergy.com/outagemap

"We're pleased to provide our customers with this exciting new on-line tool which provides up-to-date information on electric outage status in the 61 Michigan counties where Consumers Energy provides electric service," said Garrick Rochow, Consumers Energy's vice president of energy delivery. "Customers, local officials, emergency response personnel and the news media may also find this new outage map to be a helpful information resource."

The map geographically displays information 24/7 to show communities affected by power outages across Consumers Energy's electric service territory. Map users can also zoom to outage and restoration information for a specific area by entering a Michigan address, city, township or ZIP code.

In addition to showing the location of outages, the map provides:

Number of customers affected
Time of outage
Estimated time of restoration
Status of the outage

Customer outages are displayed as colored polygons of varying sizes to indicate the approximate area and scale of an outage. Different map backgrounds can be selected, including both a street map and satellite map. Additional outage information is available for viewing at city or county levels. The outage numbers shown in the detail are estimates and may change as Consumers Energy gathers more information.

The map can also be accessed using a smartphone or tablet. This new map complements Consumers Energy's existing mobile website, which allows customers to report electric outages and get restoration information.

"Our in-house business technology services group, in a partnership with our vendor ESRI, helped to refine and 'bring to life' this new outage map. This is a great example of how advances in technology are benefiting our customers," said Mamatha Chamarthi, the utility's vice president and chief information officer.

Consumers Energy, the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), provides natural gas and electricity to 6.8 million of Michigan's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.

For more information regarding Consumers Energy, visit us at: www.consumersenergy.com or join us on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/consumersenergymichigan

SOURCE Consumers Energy