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The June issue of the MPSC Spotlight is packed with information for you. Read about the upcoming Mid America Regulatory Conference being hosted in Grand Rapids in August, the MPSC’s annual summer energy outlook, a reminder to start locking in propane contracts with lower prices for this winter’s home heating season, and more.
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There’s still time to register for the 2023 Mid America Regulatory Conference this August in Grand Rapids as Michigan hosts the annual gathering of leadership from utility and regulatory agencies from 14 states.
The conference will be Aug. 6-9 at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids. Registration is open, and this year’s conference is themed Grand Vision: Past, Present, Future.
Check out this year’s lineup of speakers and moderators at MARC-Conference.org/MARC-2023-Conference.
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Longtime MPSC Staff member Paul Proudfoot was honored recently by the Michigan Agricultural Energy Council (MAEC) for his decades of work as a founding member of the organization.
Proudfoot, director of the MPSC’s Energy Resources Division, was recognized with a 30th Anniversary Founders Award for his crucial work since the 1993 founding of MAEC that brings together utilities, the Michigan State University Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department, agricultural organizations and state government agencies to tackle electrical and other energy issues affecting Michigan farms and agricultural businesses, with an emphasis on efficient use of electricity and energy efficiency improving productivity.
Proudfoot’s early work included helping bring utility representatives together to assist livestock farmers with reducing stray voltage. More recently, MAEC developed the nationally recognized Michigan Agricultural Energy Program, which provides naturally certified energy auditors to perform farm and business audits, helping farmers and other agricultural business operators reduce their energy costs significantly.
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With summer temperatures here, the winter home heating season might not be at top of mind. But this is the time of year when Michiganders who use propane for winter heating should start shopping around to ensure they get the best deal.
The MPSC urges propane customers to shop around now for the best deals and to always make sure you understand contract terms and have answers to any questions before you sign up. Locking in prices now helps prevent surprise higher prices later in the year as demand increases.
We encourage propane users to understand potential fees such as installation, service, pickup and disconnect, lease or equipment rental and other factors that could increase out of pocket costs.
For additional tips and consumer information, check out the MPSC’s news release on shopping now for propane and our propane consumer tip sheet.
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The MPSC’s Summer Energy Outlook for 2023 finds a summer with lower energy costs in the forecast for Michiganders.
The annual summer energy appraisal finds that gasoline prices for the summer driving season are expected to average $3.30 per gallon this year, down from $4.16 in 2022.
Other highlights:
- Diesel fuel is expected to average $3.90 per gallon this year, down $1.12 per gallon from 2022.
- While residential electric rates are up slightly, with a median increase of 2.8% for customers of utilities regulated by the MPSC, residential electric demand is expected to decline 1.3% this summer.
- Residential natural gas demand is expected to decline 5.4% this year, while overall natural gas demand is projected to rise 2.2%, mainly as electric utilities increasingly use natural gas to fuel electric generation.
Check out the annual Summer Energy Outlook for more information.
Here’s information about orders the Commission approved June 9:
- The MPSC approved nearly $50 million in grants for low-carbon energy infrastructure enhancement and development (EIED) projects across the state, as required by Public Acts 53 and 166 of 2022 (Case No. U-21293). The public acts appropriated the grant funding for businesses, nonprofits and local governments to develop, acquire or build low-carbon energy facilities that may include natural gas, combined heat and power or renewable natural gas facilities as well as electrification programs. Projects awarded funding included grid-scale energy storage, community solar, electric vehicle infrastructure, renewable natural gas and expansion of natural gas to areas now reliant on propane.
- The Commission directed Indiana Michigan Power Co. to file a revised legacy net metering or distributed generation (DG) program tariff after the utility announced that it had reached the participation cap in its DG program and would no longer accept new customers (Case No. U-20890). The MPSC directed I&M to file the revised tariff and explain options available to potential customers looking to interconnect Level 1 DG systems and the anticipated outflow credit compensation levels customers and installers can expect.
You can read more about orders issued June 9 in the MPSC’s news release.
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Have a utility complaint, or need help with your utility service? We’re here to help. Submit your complaint or inquiry online or call 800-292-9555.
Tune in to our next regularly scheduled virtual commission meeting on June 22 at 1 p.m.
The mission of the Michigan Public Service Commission is to serve the public by ensuring safe, reliable, and accessible energy and telecommunications services at reasonable rates.
Michigan Public Service Commission
517-284-8100
7109 W. Saginaw Hwy,
Lansing, MI 48917
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