ALPENA POWER COMPANY
401 N. Ninth Ave Alpena, Michigan 49707
For Immediate Release
March 17, 2026 8:00AM
Contact:
Ken Dragiewicz, President and COO
solutions@alpenapower.com
OUTAGE UPDATE
Current Situation
As of 8 am approximately 11,650 or 70% of our customers remain without power. Unfortunately, last night’s high winds caused some customers that were restored yesterday to lose power again. All available crews are working to restore outages including assistance from The City of Lowell, The City of Bay City, City of Sturgis, City of Lansing, Homeworks Tri County Cooperative, Thumb Electric Cooperative, the Hydaker-Wheatlake Company and Premium Utility Contracting. We express our thanks to the utilities and contractors helping in this difficult time.
Timeline
Outages began about 9 pm Sunday evening and the situation deteriorated quickly as ice buildup caused devastating damage to trees and reached their peak above 14,000 early Monday afternoon before progress was made as the weather moderated. While we expect significant progress to be made in the next couple of days some outages will last till late this week and in some exceptionally hard-hit areas such as the area west of Ossineke, could be without power until the weekend.
Restoration Process
The restoration process is designed to get essential services energized first then the largest number of customers on as quickly as possible. APC’s process consists of five stages:
1. Essential functions such as hospitals, 911, police, fire, water, sewer, etc.
2. Services such as fuel, grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.
3. Main feeder and distribution lines
4. Areas with the largest number of customers
5. Restore individual homes.
We are currently between phases 3 and 4 in and around the City of Alpena while we are between phases 1 and 3 in the outlying areas such as Ossineke, Hubbard Lake, Spruce, Herron, Lachine, North Point, Long and Grand Lakes.
Where to get help
If you are in need, please check local media outlets and social media of Alpena County, Alpena Public Schools, and other local resources for lists of warming shelters, and resources for help.
OXYGEN REFILL STATION
Beginning Tuesday, March 17, MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena will host a portable trailer to refill oxygen tanks for area emergency personnel and community members who rely on portable oxygen. The refill trailer will be in the visitor parking lot near the HealthPlex South Entrance on the MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena campus, 1501 W. Chisholm Street. Volunteers will be available to fill tanks Tuesday, March 17, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All portable oxygen tanks without regulators can be filled at the trailer. Individuals should bring their tanks with regulators removed. Volunteers will be on-site to assist with the refill process.
WARMING SHELTERS
• The Merchant’s building at the Alpena County Fairgrounds will be open overnight but doors close at 9 p.m. so please be in by 9 p.m. if you have any need.
• Alpena Township Hall
4385 US 23 North, Sunday through Monday, 24 hours. Walk-ins accepted, no documentation required, no fees
CODE RED – Alpena County Alert System
• CodeRED® is an emergency notification system that enables local public safety personnel to notify residents and businesses by telephone, text message, email and more of time-sensitive information, emergencies or urgent alerts.
To sign up for CodeRED, text ALPENA to 24639 or visit Notifications can be delivered via text, email and/or phone call. There is no cost and numerous users can share one account.
CALL 2-1-1
Call 2-1-1 to get information on local assistance or text your zip code to 898-211
Summary
As we begin the second day of storm recovery, I want to thank our customers for their patience and understanding and the community for their support.
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