Consumers Energy’s pending request to increase its revenue, which would amount to one of the biggest rate hikes from the utility in years, should be slashed over 56%, an administrative law judge (ALJ) recommended to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) last week. If that cut is approved by the MPSC, the rate increase on […]
Fake utility scam calls have been on the rise in recent weeks based on reports made to the Michigan Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) Customer Assistance Division. As a result, the MPSC is warning customers to be on alert for calls threatening to cut off service and demanding immediate payment. The scam calls have a few
Watch Out for Scammers Pretending To Be Your Utility Read More »
Part of the mission of the Upper Peninsula Task Force is to “formulate alternative solutions for meeting the UP’s energy needs,” including “alternative means to supply the energy sources currently used by UP residents, and alternatives to those energy sources.” As we have written about in this space before, that mission has led the task
U of M Survey Shows Challenges, Opportunities for Clean Energy in Michigan Read More »
Consumers Energy has been in the news again, announcing $12 million in bill relief for residential and small business customers that CEO Patti Poppe says is the largest financial relief fund the utility has ever offered, as reported by Crain’s Detroit Business. The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) of Michigan sees this as a step in
Consumers Energy Offers Bill Relief: Why Customers Deserve More Read More »
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 »
