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Can you believe it’s already September? Welcome to the MPSC Spotlight, our monthly e-newsletter that has information about significant upcoming public hearings, higher customer power outage credits, Lifeline Awareness Week and more.
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The MPSC will hold a public hearing Sept. 18 in Detroit on DTE Electric Co.’s application to raise rates by $456.4 million (Case No. U-21534).
The meeting will be 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, at Mumford High School, 17525 Wyoming Ave. on Detroit’s northwest side. MPSC Chair Dan Scripps, Commissioners Katherine Peretick and Alessandra Carreon, and MPSC Staff will be on hand to hear from DTE Electric customers.
The hearing will be in person only to give residents the chance to speak directly to Commissioners about DTE Electric’s application filed in March.
“The Commission looks forward to hearing from DTE Electric customers about their thoughts and concerns about the rate application,” MPSC Chair Dan Scripps said. “As the MPSC examines ways to broaden public participation in regulatory matters, this hearing is a chance for ratepayers to speak directly to Commissioners and MPSC Staff.”
Anyone interested in participating and needing assistance should contact the Commission’s Executive Secretary at 517-284-8090 in advance of the hearing and are encouraged to do so by Sept. 11, 2024.
Those unable to attend in person also may submit comments into the Case No. U-21534 case docket, email LARA-MPSC-Edockets@michigan.gov, or mail to Executive Secretary, Michigan Public Service Commission, 7109 W. Saginaw Hwy., Lansing, MI 48917. All comments should reference Case No. U-21534.
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The Michigan Public Service Commission will hold a virtual public hearing Oct. 3, 2024, to hear comments relating to major electric transmission upgrades proposed by Michigan Electric Transmission Co. (METC) (Case No. U-21471).
The hearing will be Thursday, Oct. 3, 6-9 p.m. The meeting will be virtual only, with participation available via livestream on Microsoft Teams or by phone. The public may participate by using the hearing link or by dialing 1-248-509-0316 and entering the conference ID 752540610# when prompted.
Under Public Act 30 of 1995, the MPSC has authority for siting of transmission lines in Michigan that are more than 5 miles long and that transfer 345 kilovolts (kV) or more electricity. In Act 30 cases, which are contested, the Commission must issue an order within a year of an application. More information about how transmission cases are conducted is available at the MPSC’s Act 30 webpage.
METC has applied for approval of two certificates of public convenience and necessity for two new electric transmission lines in the central and southern Lower Peninsula. One is the Nelson Road to Oneida project, a 39-mile, 345 kV double circuit line between substations in Gratiot County and Eaton counties. The other is the Helix to Hiple project, a 55-mile, 345 kV double circuit line between substations in Calhoun and Branch counties. In addition, METC seeks a certificate for the construction of a new Helix Substation.
Anyone needing assistance to participate should contact the Commission’s Executive Secretary at 517-284-8090 in advance of the hearing and are encouraged to do so by Sept. 20, 2024. Additional information about participating in the hearing is available in the MPSC’s public notice.
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The Commission on Sept. 5 approved adjusting the power outage credit for customers who endure lengthy or frequent power outages to $40 per day, up $2 from the previous year. It marks the second required annual inflation adjustment the Commission has instituted under updates the Commission made to its Service Quality Rules in March 2023.
Before 2023, outage credits had been set at a $25 one-time credit per incident, and customers had to request the credit from their utilities. Now, the credits are automatic, available each day beyond acceptable thresholds, and pegged to inflation.
The increased outage credit strengthens compensation for those who lose electric service and toughens an incentive for electricity providers to improve reliability and shorten the length of outages.
“We understand that the outage credit won’t cover everything lost when the power goes out, but the credit will help customers while encouraging utilities to do all they can to restore service quickly,” MPSC Chair Dan Scripps said. “The credits are one tool the MPSC is using to encourage utilities to improve the power grid to better withstand increasingly frequent extreme weather and restore power as rapidly as possible after outages.”
The power outage credit kicks in after 96 hours during catastrophic conditions, when 10% or more of a utility’s customers lose power; after 48 hours during gray-sky conditions affecting between 1% and 10% of a utility’s customers, and after 16 hours during normal conditions. Customers who endure more than 6 sustained power interruptions in one year also are eligible for the outage credit.
More information on outage credits is available at the MPSC’s consumer tip sheet.
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The week of Sept. 9-13 is Lifeline Awareness Week, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the MPSC are encouraging Michiganders to take advantage of discounts on phone and internet bills for income-eligible households.
Lifeline is a state and federal program that provides support for voice or broadband service to qualified income-eligible veterans, seniors and other Michiganders. In 2024, 311,316 Michiganders were Lifeline subscribers, according to the Universal Service Administrative Co.
Dozens of telecommunications providers in Michigan offer Lifeline. Through Michigan Lifeline, income-eligible people under age 65 get a minimum monthly discount on their bill of $8.25. Those 65 and older receive a minimum discount of $12.35.
For more information about Lifeline, see the MPSC's Federal Lifeline or Michigan Lifeline consumer tip sheets or contact the MPSC at 800-292-9555. To find a provider, check with the MPSC's list of participating companies to see if your local landline telephone company, wireless provider or broadband provider participates in Lifeline.
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Here are details about orders the Commission approved at its Sept. 5 meeting:
- The Commission approved two accounting measures proposed by Consumers Energy Co. to use federal and state funding for projects designed to improve grid reliability. The Commission approved Consumers’ application for accounting authority for matching funds for a $19.9 million grant to deploy distributed artificial intelligence (AI) modules on residential electric meters to provide an AI-enabled platform to manage electric vehicle and distributed energy resource integration while maintaining grid reliability (Case No. U-21773). The Commission also approved Consumers’ application for accounting approval for a $4.05 million federal matching grant for a project to move electric service underground in disadvantaged communities (Case No. U-21774).
- The Commission approved DTE Electric Co.’s application for approval of its Cedar Fields Solar Project but cautioned the utility that the MPSC will continue to closely review DTE’s bidding process to ensure that company-owned projects aren’t unreasonably favored, and said it expects the utility to demonstrate its commitment to fair and transparent competitive bidding (Case No. U-21193).
Tune in to our next regularly scheduled commission meeting on Sept. 26 at 1 p.m.
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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.
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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