LANSING, December 20.  The Michigan Public Service Commission advanced 
natural gas customer choice for Michigan Consolidated Gas Company's natural 
gas customers, today approving the company's October 25, 2001 application for 
a voluntary, expanded natural gas customer choice program.  The Commission 
also approved the use of deferred accounting for the recovery of gas customer 
choice implementation costs but found that rate recovery will be determined 
in a future rate case.  

     Under the expanded program, beginning April 1, 2002, up to 400,000 
Mich Con natural gas customers will be eligible to participate in the program.  
Effective April 1, 2003, the number of eligible customer will increase to over 
600,000, and on April 1, 2004, all of Mich Con's natural gas customers may 
select an alternative natural gas supplier.  The expanded program will replace 
a Mich Con natural gas three-year experimental program which, in 2001, allowed 
225,000 Mich Con customers to select an alternative supplier.  The experimental 
program concludes on April 1, 2002.

     Mich Con's expanded program, like its experimental program, is voluntary 
for its natural gas customers.  Participating customers will be selected on a 
first come, first served basis.   Today's order approves residential customer 
protections, solicitation requirements, supplier registration and code of 
conduct, and procedures for complaints between suppliers and the company.

     "We are pleased that Michigan Consolidated Gas Company joins Consumers 
Energy Company in offering an expanded natural gas customer choice program to 
their natural gas customers," said Chairman Laura Chappelle.     "By 2004, more 
than 95% of  Michigan's natural gas customers will have the opportunity to select 
an alternate natural gas supplier."Mich Con, the Detroit-based subsidiary of DTE 
Energy Company, provides natural gas service to 1.2 million customers across 
Michigan.

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


Case No. U-13155
December 20, 2001
(MPSC approves expanded Michigan Consolidated Gas natural gas customer choice 
program)