LANSING, October 11.   The Michigan Public Service Commission today approved 
a settlement agreement and authorized Thumb Electric Cooperative to increase its rates for 
its electric customers by $348,322 annually, or about 3.45%. The Commission approved the 
rate increase because Thumb's current electric rates would result in a revenue insufficiency 
for the company based on 2000 data.  
Thumb's customers will see a rate change on a class-by-class basis as follows:
Rate Class						Rate Increase
Farm and Home Service					3.0%
Farm and Home Time-Of-Day Service			4.1%
Seasonal Residential Service					2.9%
Seasonal General Service					2.7%
General Time-Of-Day Service				4.1%
General Service						2.7%
Large Power Distribution Substation				3.7%
Outdoor Protective Lighting Service				2.6%
Interruptible Central AC/Heat Pump Service		          16.5%
Dual Fuel Heating Service				          13.3%
Energy Storage						7.1%

Thumb's residential customers using 500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per 
month will see a monthly increase of about $1.40, beginning November 2001.  Individual 
customer increases will vary, based on actual customer electric use.   Commercial and 
industrial customers will also see an increase in their electric rates, effective November 2001.
MPSC staff and Thumb negotiated the settlement agreement.
Thumb, headquartered in Ubly, provides electric service to about 11,000 member-
customers in Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties.
The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Consumer and Industry Services.

Case No.  U-12882
October 11, 2001
(Thumb receives approval to increase its electric rates by $348,322 annually)