MPSC - Electric Customer Choice Reports .
 

Program Status

MPSC Reports on the Status of Electric Competition in Michigan

During 2008, competition in Michigan’s electric market showed a continued decline.  The electric choice program in Consumers Energy Company’s territory experienced a five percent annual increase in electric megawatt (MW) load, but over a two percent decline in the number of choice customers.  Conversely, the electric choice program in The Detroit Edison Company’s territory saw a 38 percent annual MW load decline and an over 26 percent decline in the number of choice customers.  This decline in electric choice was attributed, in part, to higher wholesale electricity prices.

To date, Michigan remains one of about 20 States that has a full or limited restructuring of the competitive electric market, but Michigan has retained its reasonable rates.  In comparison to the 10 largest U.S. states, Michigan was benchmarked as having the fourth lowest average retail electricity rates for residential customers, the fifth lowest for commercial customers, and the third lowest for industrial customers.

In 2008, the Commission issued 158 orders to further establish the framework for Michigan’s electric customer choice programs and implement the provisions of PA 141 and the new energy legislation, Public Act 286 and 295 of 2008.

Highlights of the report include:

  • Approximately 3,717 commercial and industrial customers in the Detroit Edison and Consumers Energy service territories participated in Michigan’s customer choice programs, representing 770 MW of total sales.
  • Over three percent of electricity sales in the Detroit Edison and Consumers Energy service areas were supplied by Alternative Electric Suppliers (AES), down from about four percent in 2007.
  • There were 26 licensed AESs in Michigan during 2008.
  • Electric standards and practices were revised to lower deposits required of small business customers and to establish an informal complaint resolution process.
  • The Low-Income Energy Efficiency Fund grants awarded $62 million for low-income financial assistance, $10 million for low-income energy efficiency, $12 million for general energy efficiency, and $6.5 million for energy efficiency technologies.
  • The Wind Energy Resource Zone Board and the Michigan Planning Consortium were created.
  • A pilot program to integrate plug-in hybrid electric vehicles into Michigan’s electric grid was initiated through the Smart Grid Collaborative.
  • Constellation NewEnergy, a licensed AES, continued to offer a “Green-e Renewable Energy” product; and Spartan Renewable Energy LLC, a licensed AES, allowed customers to pay a premium for power from renewable energy resources.
 
2008 Annual - 1/30/09
PDF (1.6MB)
2007 Annual - 2/1/08
PDF (624k)
2006 Annual - 2/1/07
PDF (1 MB)
2005 Annual - 2/1/06
PDF (72k)
2004 Annual - 1/31/05
PDF (344k)
2003 Annual - 2/1/04
PDF (677k)
2002 Annual - 2/5/03
PDF (840k)
2001 Annual - 2/4/02
PDF (57k)
2000 Annual - 2/1/01
PDF (35k)


The Customer Choice Program activity is incorporated in the specific utility charts updated monthly for Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison. The charts shows cumulative number of customers, MW, enrolled and in-service on an eighteen month rolling forward basis. The most current monthly information is listed in the last column of each chart.


Comments or questions on these reports may be directed to:

      Sheila Cornfield
      Financial Analysis & Customer Choice Section
      Regulated Energy Division (517) 335-1600
      Michigan Public Service Commission
      cornfields@michigan.gov
      (517) 335-5539

      OR

      Audrey Weber
      Financial Analysis & Customer Choice Section
      Regulated Energy Division (517) 335-1600
      Michigan Public Service Commission

      webera4@michigan.gov
      (517) 241-0967


Related topics: Merchant Power Plants in Michigan

Updated : Jul. 28, 2009