A bill to amend 1939 PA 3, entitled “An act to provide for the regulation and control of public and certain private utilities and other services affected with a public interest within this state; to provide for alternative energy suppliers and certain providers of electric vehicle charging services; to provide for licensing; to include municipally owned utilities and other providers of energy under certain provisions of this act; to create a public service commission and to prescribe and define its powers and duties; to abolish the Michigan public utilities commission and to confer the powers and duties vested by law on the public service commission; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state governmental officers and entities; to provide for the continuance, transfer, and completion of certain matters and proceedings; to abolish automatic adjustment clauses; to prohibit certain rate increases without notice and hearing; to qualify residential energy conservation programs permitted under state law for certain federal exemption; to create a fund; to encourage the utilization of resource recovery facilities; to prohibit certain acts and practices of providers of energy; to allow for the securitization of stranded costs; to reduce rates; to provide for appeals; to provide appropriations; to declare the effect and purpose of this act; to prescribe remedies and penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” by amending section 6a (MCL 460.6a), as amended by 2023 PA 231.
Enhances the regulation of public and select private utilities, including alternative energy suppliers and electric vehicle charging service providers. The bill proposes the establishment of a public service commission to oversee these utilities, replacing the Michigan public utilities commission, and outlines the commission's powers and duties. It requires utilities to seek commission approval for rate increases or service cost changes through a detailed review process. The legislation introduces mechanisms for rate relief for smaller gas utilities, sets procedures for commission decision-making, mandates refunds for rates exceeding approved amounts, and specifies the commission's role in rule adoption for rate adjustment petitions. It also addresses cost recovery for merchant plants generating electricity from wood or solid wood wastes, introduces revenue decoupling mechanisms, and provides financial incentives for energy waste reduction programs. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for net metering and distributed generation programs under the clean and renewable energy and energy waste reduction act, ensuring a balanced framework for utility regulation and cost recovery while promoting energy conservation.
Introduced
by
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Environment
