LANSING, June 19.   Public Acts 141 and 142 of 2000, signed into law
by Governor John Engler on June 3, 2000, empowered the Michigan Public
Service Commission to make Michigan  a leader in the area of electric
competition.   In a comprehensive set of orders issued today, the Commission
quickly moved forward to implement the "Customer Choice and Electricity
Reliability Act".   

     In today's orders, the Commission directed:

--   Consumers Energy Company and Detroit Edison Company to file by
     September 20, 2000, revised tariffs to implement both experimental and
     comprehensive retail open access programs;

--   Each investor-owned electric utility, other than Consumers Energy and
     Detroit Edison, to file by October 2, 2000, a restructuring plan that permits
     all of its retail customers to choose an alternative electric supplier by
     January 1, 2002, and each cooperative electric utility with any customer
     having a peak load of one megawatt to also file a restructuring plan;

--   MPSC staff to consult with Michigan electric utilities owners and
     operators of merchant plants and relevant stakeholders to develop
     standards for the interconnection of merchant plants and to file a final
     report with its recommendations by October 2, 2000;

--   Interested persons to file comments on the MPSC staff's proposed electric
     distribution system performance standards by July 21, 2000, and MPSC
     staff to initiate a review of methods to improve the service reliability of
     transmission systems;

--   Suspension of the schedule for the current electric code of conduct
     proceeding and require the parties and the Administrative Law Judge in
     the case to address how the case should proceed; 

--   Each utility to file a report with the commission when it learns of any
     reductions in federal funding for low-income and energy assistance
     programs;

--   Each electrical power generating facility in Michigan to file a report,
     within 60 days, on its compliance with all applicable federal
     Environmental Protection Agency regulations governing mercury
     emissions;

--   Interested persons to submit proposals by August 22, 2000, to implement
     the customer information and environmental disclosure requirements of
     Public Act 141; and

--   The Administrative Law Judge to reopen the proceeding on a previously
     established advisory council's statewide customer education proposal to
     address the effect of Public Act 141 on the proposal.

     "The Commission is pleased to quickly move forward in implementing the
"Customer Choice and Electricity Reliability Act," said Chairman John Strand. 
"Michigan's electric customers shall soon see the benefits of an open, competitive
electric environment."  

     The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Consumer and Industry
Services.

Case No. U-12489, U-12488, U-12464(b), U-12485, U-12134, U-12464, U-
12270, U-12487, U-12486, and U-12133
June 19, 2000
("Customer Choice and Electricity Reliability Act" implementation orders)