Officials Warn This Michigan City May See Brown Outs This Summer

I'm not sure if you noticed or not, but it's hot out there this summer.

Going into this Summer, we were warned by several energy providers that if the heat index gets as high as it's predicted to, we may start to see some issues when it comes to power. While providers have worked overtime to stock up and be prepared, the strain from the large amount of air conditioning units starts to wear on our power grid.

And while some energy providers such as Consumers have started to offer programs to residents who are willing to reduce their energy consumption during peak hours, but that isn't totally solving the problem of the strain on our powerlines.

The City of Portland, Mi is warning residents they may expect rolling brown outs and possibly black outs in the upcoming days.

According to a release, they are currently asking members of the community to try to limit their electricity use by turning off unnecessary lights and electronics when they aren't being used. By reducing small amounts of waste, we can possibly prevent issues down the line.

What is a brown out?

We've all heard of black outs - but a brown out is just when your power gets lower versus entirely going out. You may notice your lights dim during this time and your electronics charging slower or not powering on at all.

Will consumers be warned of brown and black outs occurring?

The Power Board says they'll try their best to warn customers of impending power changes in their area, but it may not be a perfect art, so they're asking for patience from the community.

You can do your part to help reduce strain on the power grid by reducing your energy use where you can, and make sure you have lots of water nearby in case you do have to spend a few hours without power.