With Power Outages On The Rise In Ann Arbor, Businesses Are Asking For Change

With frequent power outages hitting Ann Arbor, Michigan, residents, and business owners alike are getting fed up! With many outages lasting several days, the community has reached the breaking point! There have been numerous requests for a change with or without DTE Energy going forward.

Ann Arbor For Public Power, a nonprofit coalition advocating for a 100% renewable and public-owned electric utility in the city, has been fighting for a separation from DTE Energy for years.

"A municipal utility is a utility service which is owned by a city or town," according to the organization. "In Ann Arbor, and most towns, the water and sewer services are municipal utilities. There are over 2000 municipal electric utilities in the country; in fact, 42 municipal electric utilities exist in Michigan, in cities like Lansing, Traverse City and Chelsea."

The renewed cry for something different flared up again this past week as severe thunderstorms hammered the region leaving thousands of customers, including many in Ann Arbor who lost their power for days, powerless.

Small Businesses Are Taking The Biggest Hit

Studio Studio in Ann Arbor suffered three major power outages this year alone, according to owner and founder Abby Rosenbaum. The most recent round of storms last week knocked out power Wednesday through Friday.

"We've had power outages that lasted four or five days," Rosenbaum said. "This particular stretch of Packard (St.) in Ann Arbor seems to get hit relentlessly every time there is an issue. The last time we were down for several days we had to cancel events and issue refunds, which is a hit for a small business."
Despite the outage, Studio Studio successfully hosted a wedding Friday. However, it was not without having to scramble and acquire borrowed equipment.

"It was the heat, more than anything, that made it difficult. We were without A.C.," she said. "But we were able to borrow a generator from a friend so that at least gave us some outlets to plug into so we could get some fans going."

"We had to run out and buy LED lamps for the bathrooms, we had cords everywhere so that we could have some light for the couple, our sound system was down but we managed to just bring in some Bluetooth speakers," she said. "It wasn't a terrible disaster, but it was definitely stressful."

Power outages can result in significant financial losses for residents and small businesses, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars in spoiled food and missed sales.

The restaurant that catered Studio Studio's Friday wedding — Eat, also on Packard St. in Ann Arbor — announced its immediate closure Tuesday, expedited by the power outage.

"While we had planned to stay open throughout the summer, after yet another power outage caused us to lose our entire inventory, we have decided not to reopen," according to the statement.

Plan For the Next Outage—Get a Generator

Hearing about the challenges facing the venue and restaurant refunding money and missing out due to prolonged outages, it sounds like they should focus on finding an alternative. A standby generator, whether diesel or natural gas powered—would give these businesses power when the next storm front rolls through and knocks out power. We might just have to say hello to Abby!

Click here to see our full inventory of new, used, and surplus generators. Call our team at (866) 518-1240 to talk with an expert to see what size generator would work best for your operation.

Power outages are not going away. As cities expand, electricity demands are on the rise and if you follow the weather, thunderstorms, snowstorms, and stronger heat waves —that all translates into more demand and outages.

Back in Michigan, following the businesses and resident’s concerns, the DTE sent an e-mail to the Detroit Free Press in which they highlighted plans to expand renewable energies and highlighted current infrastructure projects including $5 billion spent in the past five years. Given the common power outages, it looks like they will have to spend a lot more on the grid or you can make your own luck and invest in a standby generator to help power your business. Imagine your business cooled in the summer, warm in the winter, and powered while your competition sits in the dark for days.