Both the Michigan House and Senate passed Senate Bill 213 and House Bill 5524, with only minor revisions. After many weeks in conference committee, the legislature voted to increase your electric bills by as much as an estimated 30 percent annually, and handed a monopoly back to the two utilities. PA 141 of 2000 enabled competition in the marketplace, keeping rates low.
The Customer Choice Coalition remains committed
to participating in the implementation of the new law to ensure energy policy goals are achieved efficiently and at the lowest cost.
New data in: Competition holding down rates, MPSC shows This data was provided by the MPSC to the Senate committee today. Michigan rate increases for every class - residential, commercial and industrial - increased since passage of OUR competition law by less than U.S. regional, restructured, regulated and 10 largest states. Our law works for customers - regardless of what the utilities are saying.
Customer Choice Coalition Mission Statement The Customer Choice Coalition is a group of associations, businesses and other organizations supporting the ability of customers to choose from many electric providers when purchasing power. Its members include manufacturers and small businesses, building managers and schools, churches and others who support our current electric restructuring system.
Michigan's electric bills are the highest in the Midwest, and are hurting our state's families, businesses and governments. To help hold down rates, the Customer Choice Coalition supports giving electric customers a choice of many electric providers, just as they have a choice of many telecommunications providers.
Recent News Stories
Detroit Edison customers soon to be locked out of electric choice - CCC Press Release (December 7, 2009) The holiday season is upon us and Detroit Edison electric customers will soon be handed a lump of
coal as DTE nears the 10 percent cap on electric choice customers in their service area.
“When passed last year, supporters insisted competition and choice were kept alive because 10
percent of each major utility’s load was allowed to move to competitive companies,” said Barry
Cargill, executive director of the Customer Choice Coalition. “Now, just 13 months later,
Consumers Energy has met their limit and Detroit Edison is currently at more than 8 percent and
expects to reach their limit within the next few days. The utilities retain 90 percent of the electric
customer load in their respective regions and customers are stuck with no option; the Electric
Remonopolization Act of 2008 is proving to be a major failure for customers and a major win for the
utilities.” (full release)
Bill in works to raise electric-choice limits (Crain's Detroit Business, December 7, 2009) Businesses in Detroit Edison Co.'s territory that want
to switch to alternate-electricity suppliers may soon find
themselves unable to do so.
Edison is nearing the 10 percent limit in a state cap that governs
the amount of its customer load that can go to alternate
suppliers, as of Friday reaching 8.6 percent.
Consumers Energy Co. reached its 10 percent limit in August
and last week had 42 customers on a waiting list to participate
in the electric-choice program. (full article)
First Refund Ordered Under New Electric Law (Gongwer News Service, November 2, 2009) The Public Service Commission ordered Consumers Energy to refund some $39.6 million annualized for
overcharging customers since May.
The commission found Monday (case No. U-15645) that Consumers could only increase its rates $139.4
million annually, less than the $215 million it had requested and the $179 million the utility increased its rates
in May.
In addition to the rate refund, plus interest, the commission ordered Consumers to refund the remaining $73
million from the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant the commission had early found should belong to customers.
Consumers already has refunded $36 million from that sale. (full article)
One year later, electric remonopolization laws a failure for Michigan- CCC Press Release (October 27, 2009) October marks the one year anniversary of the Michigan Electric Remonopolization Act, and Michigan residents are losing under the new laws. After eight years of Michigan's electric rates increasing by less than the national average, today our rates are climbing at lightning speed.
The Michigan Electric Remonopolization Act was a failure, and Michigan residents are paying the price,” said Barry Cargill, executive director of the Customer Choice Coalition. “Customers are paying more now than ever before. Detroit Edison residential customers are paying 20 percent, or $130, more this year and Consumers Energy customers are faced with a 9 percent increase at the cost of about $60 per year. Unfortunately, they're paying more and seeing nothing additional in return. Electric choice was capped at 10 percent of the utilities overall load, and that limit has already been reached in Consumers Energy territory. Now businesses are being told they cannot shop for competitive prices which could save jobs and ultimately keep business doors open." (full release)
