It has been almost an entire summer since we checked in on the progress of the Upper Peninsula Energy Task Force, which, after delivering its report on propane supply and alternatives to Line 5, is now about six months away from a final report on much broader energy issues facing this unique part of Michigan. […]
UP Energy Task Force Ponders Electric Vehicles and More Read More »
Michigan regulators have approved a settlement agreement that concludes Consumers Gas’s latest rate case, cuts the utility’s requested rate increase on residential customers by about half and provides additional assistance to low-income customers who are struggling to pay utility bills in the current economic climate. Residential ratepayers will see a 9% rate increase, compared to
Settlement Leads to 9% Rate Increase for Consumers Gas Residential Customers Read More »
On Aug. 20 the Michigan Public Service Commission approved a settlement agreement that allows DTE’s natural gas utility to increase monthly bills for a typical residential customer by 3.9%, down from the 8.3% originally requested by DTE. The new rates will come into effect on Oct. 1, 2020. But just a few months later, in January, 2021,
Michigan Regulators Approve Latest Rate Increase for DTE Gas Customers Read More »
Electric utilities are often talked about as being in a state of transition, needing to adapt, move into the 21st century, and a host of other buzz terms. For example: the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) describes the purpose of Michigan’s MI Power Grid initiative as “to maximize the benefits of the transition to clean, distributed energy resources
The COVID-19 pandemic is revealing many gaps in emergency preparedness and disaster mitigation across the country. In the world of energy, some of the biggest potential emergencies stem from problems with the reliability of the electric grid, such as frequent blackouts. As has been reported several times, the pandemic, which has caused significant shifts in electric demand
Commentary from CUB of MI in Energy News Network Read More »
The Upper Peninsula Energy Task Force turned its attention in May and June meetings to studying the grid that delivers electricity to homes and businesses in the UP – the power generation assets (power plants, etc.) and the transmission and distribution lines that crisscross the peninsula. This work encompasses the second charge in Executive Order 2019-14 from
This Summer in Upper Peninsula Energy Issues: Task Force Widens Its Scope Read More »
Earlier this week the Michigan state government announced measures that will help low-income ratepayers deal with the imminent removal of certain protections utilities have been offering since the pandemic began in March. This move will mitigate at least some of the economic harm when, as CUB blogged about last month, a “backlog” of unpaid bills built up over this
State Issues Additional Aid for Low-Income Utility Customers – Is It Enough? Read More »
The Union of Concerned Scientists has a new study that argues that the incredibly complex wholesale electricity markets in the U.S. have loopholes that are creating heavy costs for ratepayers of regulated electric utilities like DTE Energy and Consumers Energy. This is a very complicated issue that is indecipherable for many people (as is common in utility manners). But
Anyone who has looked into how utility rates are set has found out that it can be one of the driest, most jargon-filled subject matters around. Because they are so unfriendly to the layperson, utility topics are prone to misinterpretation when talked about in plain English. An example is DTE’s recent announcement that it is passing $30
What “Rate Relief” Really Means Read More »
The Michigan Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) May 8 order on DTE Energy’s rate increase request could be one of the most important decisions the commission makes this year. It signals that a big change might be coming in the relationship between regulators and investor-owned utilities. The MPSC ordered a major investor-owned utility to propose a system of
DTE’s Rate Case – A Step Toward Accountability for Poor Service? Read More »
