In what appears to be a push for heightened scrutiny over utility companies in Michigan, Attorney General Dana Nessel advocated for increased accountability for power providers and affordability for consumers in her commentary to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). This action comes after an audit that placed Michigan utilities at the bottom tier nationally for restoration time post power outages. The significant report, filed in response to recurrent blackouts in the Consumers Energy and DTE Electric service territories, was dissected by Nessel and other parties this week, with their comments critiquing both the utilities and the auditing process itself.
Published findings from the audit highlighted tree contact with power lines as the leading culprit behind the power outages for both Consumers Energy and DTE, according to the Attorney General's press release. Despite substantial capital investments made over the last seven to eight years, improvements in electric reliability remain largely unseen. Both utilities are continuing this trend with multi-hundred-million-dollar projections for future capital spending, aimed supposedly at bolstering electric reliability and tackling other issues.
In her critique, Attorney General Nessel noted, "While I commend the Commission for conducting this audit, it is merely a first step. We need concrete, decisive action and answers regarding past failures to prevent them in the future. Focusing on reliability, accountability, and affordability is essential to improving performance," she said, expressing disappointment that capital spending—which benefits the companies and shareholders financially—has been prioritized over operational solutions like tree trimming. Nessel also emphasized the lack of consequences for failing to meet performance promises, despite the ability of the utilities to recover billions from ratepayers, as per the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
