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 9t (MCL 460.9t), as added by 2013 PA 95.
The bill proposes the establishment of a low-income energy assistance fund within the state treasury, which will be managed by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs for auditing purposes. This fund is designed to receive money from various sources, and its allocation will be overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services in accordance with the Michigan Energy Assistance Act.
A key feature of the bill is the authorization for the Public Service Commission to set an annual low-income energy assistance funding factor. This factor is capped at $1.00 per customer and cannot exceed $50 million annually. Utilities are required to remit the collected funds on a monthly basis and must clearly itemize the assistance factor on customer bills. Additionally, utilities have the option to opt out of collecting this funding factor, but in doing so, they must agree not to shut off service to residential customers for nonpayment during the critical period from November 1 to April 15.
Introduced
by
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Environment
Discharged from committee
Referred to the Committee of the Whole
Reported with substitute S-1
Substitute S-1 concurred in by voice vote
Passed in the Senate 28 to 10 (details)
Referred to the Committee on Energy, Communications, and Technology
