With coal-fired power plants set to begin retiring due to federal environmental regulations as soon as 2016, the Michigan Public Service Commission is taking action to ensure that electric utilities and competitive electricity suppliers (or alternative electric suppliers) will have the capability to meet their customers electricity demands over the next five years.
Michigan Public Service Commission
Contact: Judy Palnau
December 4, 2014 – The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today directed all regulated electric utilities, alternative electric suppliers (AESs), and certain power supply cooperatives and associations to file assessments of their abilities to meet their customers’ expected electric requirements for the years 2015 through 2019 by Feb. 17, 2015. The Commission’s investigation spans a five-year period because of the expected retirement of older generating units in the state as a result of new air quality requirements.
Today’s order also solicits comments from the Midcontinent Independent Transmission Operator (MISO), PJM Interconnection, and providers of transmission services in Michigan by March 9, 2015.
“This marks the first time the MPSC has directed utilities to provide assessments covering five years and asked AESs to do the same, in light of the expected capacity shortfalls in Michigan as early as 2016 and the time necessary to plan and arrange for new capacity supplies, including new generation and demand-side options,” noted MPSC Chairman John D. Quackenbush.
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