LANSING, November 19.  The Michigan Public 

Service Commission today announced that it will 

hold three public hearings in November and 

December 1999 to solicit public comments on the 

Detroit Edison Company's response to electric 

outages resulting from the severe storms

during this past summer.    Specifically, the 

Commission is asking customers to identify how

Detroit Edison responded to the electric outages 

caused by the storms, what safety procedures

were used by the company to protect the public; 

and whether there are changes needed to deal

with future storm damage.  Customers may also 

identify recurrent electric outage concerns.  

The public hearings will be held at:



     City Council Chambers

     13615 Michigan Avenue

     Dearborn, Michigan

     Monday November 29, 1999, 2:00 p.m.



     William M. Costick Activities Center

     28600 Eleven Mile Road

     Farmington Hills, Michigan

     Monday November 29, 1999, 6:00 p.m.



     Rochester Community Schools

     Board of Education Meeting Room

     501 West University

     Rochester, Michigan

     Thursday December 2, 1999, 6:00 p.m.

     

     The Commission will also accept comments on an  

MPSC staff report, submitted to the Commission today,  

summarizing the staff's  findings in its investigation 

into Detroit Edison's response to these electric outages 

and ongoing system reliability issues.  The staff report

recommends that Detroit Edison:



      Increase its tree trimming to meet the 4.3 year 

average trimming cycle target.  This would require trimming 

23% of the distribution and subtransmission lines each year, 

which currently equates to 6955 miles of line.  Poor 

performing circuits may require more frequent trimming. 

The $42.7 million budgeted for line clearance in 1999 

should be spent with future increases depending on system 

performance.



      Work with Staff to develop reliability performance 

targets for Commission approval.  These targets should 

include, but not be limited to, frequency of outages and 

duration of outages and performance criteria for poor 

performing pockets.  



     Expand its investigation of areas that have 

experienced chronic performance problems to include

the impact of all storms.

                                   

     Review its programs for distribution system 

strengthening, pole top and line maintenance, downed wire 

reduction, secondary rewiring and others to demonstrate that 

activities are adequately funded and implemented in a manner 

which reduces outages due to equipment failures.



     Strengthen its system with new substations, which can 

reduce loads vulnerable to circuit outages.



     Expand its utilization of storm-resistant overhead 

wiring configurations.  Such alternatives would improve 

reliability in areas where optimal tree trimming is not 

practical or permitted due to land owner objections.



     Work with Staff to identify levels of distribution 

capital and O&M; spending which optimize system performance 

and reliability.  A mechanism should be established to link 

reliability performance and distribution spending levels to 

the company's allowed rate of return. 



     Work with Staff to improve the responsiveness of its 

toll free number and complaint processes.



     The staff report will be available on the MPSC Web site 

at: <http://cis.state.mi.us/mpsc/electric/dereport.htm>. A 

copy may be obtained by calling 517.241.6070 or 1.800.292.9555.

  

     The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Consumer 

and Industry Services.



November 19, 1999

(MPSC announces public hearings on Detroit Edison's 1999 

storm restoration efforts)