Lansing — Michigan energy regulators authorized an investigation Thursday into DTE Energy and Consumers Energy regarding widespread power outages over the Fourth of July holiday in southeast Michigan.
The three-member Michigan Public Service Commission also voted in favor of adopting “extreme weather condition policies” that utilities must comply with.
The investigation requires DTE Energy, Consumers Energy and Indiana Michigan Power Company to prepare a report by Aug. 27 on what they did to prepare for the July 3 severe storms that caused the outages that stretched into the holiday weekend, how they responded, what type of communication they maintained with customers and where they fell short.
The outages, said MPSC member Katherine Peretick, lasted too long.
“Michigan experiences severe weather,” said Katherine Peretick, a member of the Michigan Public Service Commission. “While we cannot prevent storms, we can and should expect our utilities to prepare for them, to respond effectively when they occur and to communicate clearly and accurately with the customers who rely on them.”
MPSC Chairman Dan Scripps acknowledged the “real frustration” among customers and the need for accountability and improvement.
“It’s also clear that the utilities in this instance were caught unprepared for both the severity of the storms and the duration of the outages,” Scripps said.
More than 500,000 people in Michigan were without power for several days over the Independence Day holiday due to a severe storm on July 3 that toppled branches over power lines across the state.
The utilities offered power outage credits for extended outages. But Detroit U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib said the reimbursements don’t cover what customers lose in outages.
“Our groceries will be spoiled and our medicines will not be usable. Yet, the Michigan Public Services Commission thinks $25 to $35 reimbursement rate is reasonable. It is not,” Tlaib said in a Facebook post.
Farmington Hills Mayor Theresa Rich expressed frustration Thursday over the prolonged outages, noting they affect the city’s most vulnerable residents and cost the city money as it attempts to babysit downed wires amid DTE’s delayed responses.
“The reality is DTE gets rate increases, but we’re the ones paying for a lot of it, and we do not,” Rich said during the meeting.
The extreme weather condition policies approved by the commission Thursday are meant to establish uniform protocol among utilities in the event of extreme cold, heat or storms. Early recommendations for the policy include shutoff pauses if the temperature dips below zero or peaks above 90 degrees.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan regulators order probe of DTE, Consumers over July 4 outages
Reporting by Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
