Great Lakes Wire

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has announced a new system designed to enhance the reliability of electrical services provided by the state's two largest utility companies, DTE and Consumers Energy. This system introduces financial incentives for improvements and penalties for failing to meet specific reliability metrics. Attorney General Dana Nessel has long advocated for such measures through public filings, aiming to hold these utilities accountable for their service standards.

Attorney General Nessel expressed her approval of the MPSC's decision, stating: “After years of fighting to hold DTE and Consumers Energy accountable to their customers when they fail to deliver reliably, or make meaningful improvements, I am grateful the MPSC has largely adopted my department’s proposals to tether electric reliability to the utilities’ corporate interest—profits."

Nessel acknowledged that while these measures are a significant step forward, there is more work needed. She emphasized that penalties should be based on accurately applied and honestly measured metrics. "Although a great first step," she noted, "these incentives and penalties don’t take effect until 2026 and no penalties are assessed until 2027." She vowed continued advocacy for additional consumer protections.

The MPSC has directed both DTE and Consumers Energy to submit individual proposals detailing how they plan to implement these financial mechanisms by April 15, 2025. The first proceedings assessing performance against these new metrics are scheduled for October 2027.

Consumers Energy serves approximately 1.9 million electricity customers in Michigan and provides natural gas services to about 1.8 million customers statewide. DTE supplies natural gas to around 1.3 million customers across Michigan and delivers electricity to roughly 2.2 million customers in Southeast Michigan.