TRAVERSE CITY — A new report from the Michigan Public Service Commission shows that energy prices continue to increase for customers, though at a slower pace than some other Midwestern states.
The commission says that Michigan ratepayers have generally been less impacted by inflation in recent years than other states — but issues with costs and reliability still remain.
The report also comes as ratepayer advocates are pushing back against a $430 million request from Consumers Energy to charge higher electricity rates.
A spokesperson for Consumers Energy says that higher rates in recent years have gone toward investments in grid resiliency and infrastructure.
“We have different types of generation, whether that’s solar, wind, natural gas, battery storage — there is a variety of generation which allows us to use the most cost-effective method no matter what time of year,” said Trisha Bloembergen, a media relations specialist for Consumers Energy.
Consumers’ increase request must be approved by the Public Service Commission, a governor-appointed body.
Last month, the commission approved a nearly quarter-billion dollar increase for downstate energy provider DTE. That was down about half from the amount DTE originally requested.
Advocacy groups like the Citizens Utility Board are arguing against Consumers’ request.
Matt Bandyk, a consultant with the CUB, says that he’s happy to see investments being made by providers — but the higher rates can still come at the expense of ratepayers.
“The utilities are increasing the frequency with which they trim trees, and that is going to have a positive impact on reliability,” he said. “They’re late doing this — this is something they should have been that should have been done years ago, but better late than never, I suppose.”