LANSING, November 20.   The Michigan Public Service Commission today 
moved forward in its efforts to implement the Customer Choice and Electricity 
Reliability Act of 2000, closing the dockets filed by Consumers Energy Company, 
The Detroit Edison Company, Great Lakes Energy Cooperative and Indiana Michigan 
Power Company to increase available transmission capacity by at least 2,000 
megawatts (MW) over January 1, 2000 capacity.  The plans, filed on December 28, 
2000, identify the additional facilities, the schedule and the costs the 
utilities identified as needed to increase available transmission capacity in 
compliance with the Act.

	Today's Commission order determined that the issues of cost recovery 
for the additional transmission capacity should not be addressed at this time.  
The Commission concluded that, under the Act, utility companies must first 
seek cost recovery through transmission rates approved by the Federal Energy 
Regulatory Commission.  The Commission further found that, if no Michigan 
customers benefit from the upgrades, there may be no basis under the Act to 
approve any cost recovery.   Finally, the Commission stated that, due to the 
uncertainty about whether, when, and how the FERC will provide cost recovery 
for any of the utilities, the MPSC is not in a position to set a deadline for 
the utilities to file for cost recovery from Michigan retail customers.

	MPSC staff, Consumers Energy, Detroit Edison, Great Lakes, I&M, the 
Association of Businesses Advocating Tariff Equity, Energy Michigan, Inc., 
Exelon Energy Inc., Midland Cogeneration Venture Limited Partnership, First 
Power, L.L.C., PG&E National Energy Group, Dynegy, Inc., and Ontario Power 
Generation, Inc. participated in the proceeding.


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

Case No.  U-12780, U-12781
November 20, 2001
(MPSC closed the dockets to increase transmission capacity)