Great Lakes Wire

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has intervened in Upper Peninsula Power Co.’s (UPPCo’s) outage credit waiver request before the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). UPPCo is seeking a permanent waiver related to how it counts outages under one of the MPSC’s service quality rules.

In response to UPPCo's request for a permanent waiver from the new rules, Attorney General Nessel expressed her concerns by stating, “UPPCo’s outage credit waiver request could potentially skirt and undermine the amended service quality rules set in place just last year; rules that my office advocated zealously to improve. My team will be carefully examining this request to side-step the Commission’s new rules, but UPPCo’s insistence on a permanent waiver is already troubling. We will continue to fight for customer-friendly rules and challenge unreasonable waiver requests.”

UPPCo customers are encouraged to share their thoughts on the matter by visiting the MPSC’s docket page for this issue, Docket U-21586. Additionally, the Department of Attorney General has launched a new website dedicated to the Department's work intervening in utility cases on behalf of Michigan ratepayers. The website features a Power Outage Credit Feedback & Inquiry Form for utility customers to provide feedback and report any issues related to outage credits.

The website also offers updated information on outage credit criteria for MPSC-regulated utilities, links for residents to participate in MPSC meetings or file comments, access to the 2023 Utility Performance Report, FAQs, and a video on the Utilities Imposter Scam.

Attorney General Nessel's intervention in utility cases has resulted in significant savings for Michigan ratepayers, with over $3.2 billion saved since she took office in 2019.