The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today directed The Detroit Edison Company and Consumers Energy Company to address two specific tariff changes raised by enrolled House Bill (HB) 5524, which Governor Granholm indicated she will sign into law.

First, Section 11(1) of HB 5524 states that the Commission shall phase in electric rates equal to the cost of providing service to each customer class over a five-year period beginning Jan. 1, 2009.  Under Section 11(2) the Commission shall ensure that the impact on residential and industrial metal melting rates due to the phase-in period in Section 11(1) is no more than 2.5 percent per year.

Second, Section 11(4) of HB 5524 also provides that the Commission shall establish rate schedules which ensure that public and private schools, universities, and community colleges are charged retail electric rates that reflect the actual cost of providing service to those customers.

In Case No. U-15244, the MPSC directed the parties in this rate case to address the issues raised by these two sections of enrolled HB 5524 in their Oct. 10 briefs and their Oct. 31 reply briefs.  Other interested persons who are not parties to this proceeding may submit comments in this docket limited to the issues raised by Section 11(1), Section 11(2), and Section 11(4) of enrolled HB 5524, with initial comments filed by Oct. 10, and reply comments filed by Oct. 31.

In Case No. U-15681, the MPSC directed Consumers Energy Company and other interested persons to address issues raised by the above mentioned sections of enrolled HB 5524, with initial comments filed in this docket by Oct. 10 and reply comments filed by Oct. 31.

The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Labor & Economic Growth.

Case Nos. U-15244 and U-15681