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Michigan received lots of kudos for a successful 2023 Mid-America Regulatory Conference (MARC) held Aug. 6-9 in Grand Rapids. We want to extend a special thank you to the MPSC Staff who organized and worked during the event to ensure it went smoothly.
MARC is an association of regional organizations of utility and energy regulatory agencies from Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. The annual conference brings together staff from state agencies, representatives of regulated industries and the public at large to discuss pressing policy and regulatory issues, this year including historic levels of federal investment in infrastructure, energy and telecommunications.
More than 500 people registered to attend the conference based at the JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids. There were more than 120 speakers during conference sessions spanning energy, telecommunications and water regulatory matters. In addition, attendees could take tours of local features including the Holland Energy Park, a walking tour of LEED-certified buildings in downtown Grand Rapids, and the City of Grand Rapids’ water resource facility and biodigester.
The MPSC on July 26 welcomed members of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the independent regulator of the African nation’s electricity supply industry, responsible for licensing operators, determining operating codes and standards, establishing customer rights and obligations, and setting cost-reflective industry tariffs.
NERC Chairman Sanusi Garba, Commissioners Aisha Mahmud, Nathan Rogers Shatti, Chidi Ike and other members of the Nigerian delegation met with Michigan’s Commissioners and MPSC Staff to discuss challenges and opportunities related to regional transmission integration and state-federal relations in both the U.S. and Nigerian contexts.
MPSC Chair Dan Scripps noted during the Commission’s meeting July 26 that the MPSC has had a special relationship with regulators from Nigeria, dating back to 2008 when the MPSC under then-Chairman Orjiakor N. Isiogu entered into a regulatory partnership funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development through a cooperative agreement with the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners.
MPSC Chair Dan Scripps and Commissioner Katherine Peretick traveled to Lima, Peru, as invited speakers at the VIII World Forum on Energy Regulation, an international conference held every three years bringing together top leaders from the energy sector, government regulators, academics and high-level decision makers to discuss energy policy and regulatory matters.
The conference is held within the framework of the International Confederation of Energy Regulators, a voluntary group that promotes cooperation among energy regulators with the aim of improving the design and implementation of public policy in the energy sector.
Chair Scripps presented on a technical workshop focused on connectivity and integration to support regional energy markets, and participated on panels covering microgrids and energy access and balancing sustainability with security of supply. Commissioner Peretick spoke on a panel focused on the role of regulators and dilemmas posed by innovation and disruptive technologies.
The MPSC participated this month in LIHEAP Action Month, an annual event that brings attention to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which provides help with energy costs for vulnerable, low-income households across the nation and in Michigan.
LIHEAP Action Month urges the public and others to tell Congress to protect funding for LIHEAP, which provides critical assistance to help families keep the lights on and stay warm in winter and cool in summer. According to the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition, as many as 4.8 million U.S. households were unable to pay at least one energy bill in 2021, and a similar number faced disconnection from energy service because of inability to pay.
If you or someone you know is struggling with home energy costs, the MPSC’s one-stop webpage on energy assistance has information on utility assistance, payment plans, help with telephone and broadband bills and other resources available to income-eligible households. To learn more, go to Michigan.gov/mpsc/gethelp.
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