E-M:/ Fw: MPSC Releases Annual Electric Competition Report Showing 33 Percent Decrease in Choice Customers

["dana" <dschindler@jackpine.net>]

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Enviro-Mich message from "dana" <dschindler@jackpine.net>
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----- Original Message ----- 
From: "MPSC Press Releases" <mpsc_press@MICHIGAN.GOV>
To: <MPSC-PRESS@LISTSERV.MICHIGAN.GOV>
Sent: Friday, February 01, 2008 3:54 PM
Subject: MPSC Releases Annual Electric Competition Report Showing 33 Percent 
Decrease in Choice Customers


> Contact: Judy Palnau (517) 241-3323
>
>
> MPSC Releases Annual Electric Competition Report Showing 33 Percent 
> Decrease in Choice Customers
> Feb 01, 2008
>
>
>
>      February 1, 2008
>
>     The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today released its 
> annual report on electric competition in Michigan.  The year 2007 marked 
> the sixth full year of electric customer choice in Michigan.
>
>     "While the number of electric choice customers in Michigan continued 
> to decline in 2007, it did so at a lower rate than the previous two 
> years," noted MPSC Chairman Orjiakor Isiogu.  "This is not surprising 
> given higher wholesale prices for electricity and uncertainty about 
> Michigan's electric choice law."
>
>     Isiogu added that Michigan's average retail electric price ranked 
> sixth and seventh, based on customer class, among the 20 states that have 
> a competitive electric market.  In addition, among the 10 largest states, 
> Michigan has the fourth lowest average retail electric rates for 
> residential and industrial customers, and the third lowest for commercial 
> customers.
>
>     Observations included in the 2007 report include the following: 
> Approximately 4,800 commercial and industrial customers in Detroit Edison 
> Company and Consumers Energy Company service territories participated in 
> Michigan's electric customer choice programs, a decrease of approximately 
> 33 percent from the previous year.  About four percent of electricity 
> sales in Detroit Edison and Consumers Energy service areas were supplied 
> by Alternative Electric Suppliers (AESs), down from about six percent in 
> 2006.  There were 28 licensed AESs in Michigan throughout 2007.  Electric 
> standards were developed for interconnections between independent power 
> producers and public utilities.  For the first time in 10 years, Consumer 
> Standards and Billing Practices for electric and gas service were 
> significantly revised.  The Low-Income and Energy Efficiency Fund grants 
> awarded $72 million for low-income financial assistance and $20 million 
> for low-income energy efficiency.  Almost 12,000 cust
> omers participated in Consumer Energy's Green Generation pricing program; 
> and over 6,800 in Detroit Edison's GreenCurrents program.  In addition, 
> Constellation NewEnergy, a licensed AES, continued to offer a new "Green-e 
> Renewable Energy" product, and Spartan Renewable Energy LLC permits 
> customers to pay a premium for power from renewable energy.  The 
> Commission supports legislation to promote effective energy efficiency 
> programs for utility customers and to establish a renewable portfolio 
> standard to increase the percentage of electricity in Michigan that is 
> generated by renewable resources.
>
>      The entire report is available on the MPSC's Web site: 
> michigan.gov/mpsc (http://www.michigan.gov/mpsc).
>
>     The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Labor &amp; Economic 
> Growth.
>
>
>
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