Customer Choice Coalition urges legislators and candidates to return a competitive market to Michigan's electric system
The Customer Choice Coalition sent a letter to all lawmakers and candidates for state elected office September 7, 2010 urging support for the return of a competitive market to Michigan's electric system. Senate Bill 1317 and House Bill 6127 offer customers the opportunity to save on energy costs by raising the cap on competition to 25 percent, allowing more customers to choose their electric suppliers and lower their electric bills.

Read the letter to lawmakers
Read the letter to candidates

Customer Choice Coalition Mission Statement
The Customer Choice Coalition is a group of associations, businesses and other organizations supporting the ability of customers to choose from many electric providers when purchasing power. Its members include manufacturers and small businesses, building managers and schools, churches and others who support our current electric restructuring system.

Recent News

Electric choice needed (A Customer Choice Coalition Letter to the Editor)
(Crain's Detroit Business, October 4, 2010)
In 2008, under great pressure from Michigan's major utilities, the Legislature voted to cap competition in theelectric market, in effect returning Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison to monopoly status.

As Rich Studley of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce pointed out in his Aug. 30 letter, “Not time to changeenergy law,” the legislative package was crafted to “improve the state's business climate and ability to retainand create jobs.” Nearly two years have passed and this has not happened.

Since the interference in the free market, Michigan's electric rates have skyrocketed and are the highest inthe Midwest. Since implementation in October 2008, Consumers Energy rates have increased 18 percent to40 percent for residential customers, 23 percent to 30 percent for commercial customers and 33 percent to36 percent for industrial customers — all while wholesale rates fell 15 percent to 20 percent. (full article)

Lawmakers should give energy providers a chance to vie for new business
(Detroit News, September 22, 2010)
It's time for lawmakers to seriously consider relaxing Michigan's anti-competitive energy policies, unless
they're willing to let electricity rates become an obstacle to recovery from one of the worst recessions in
history. Most Michigan residents and businesses have seen double-digit rate hikes, but can't shop
around for lower prices under state rules adopted in 2008.

That year, lawmakers and Gov. Jennifer Granholm ended an eight-year experiment with energy
competition by returning Michigan to a regulated system that guarantees DTE and Consumers Energy
90 percent of the state's power business. (full article)

A Rate Increase For Consumers Energy Customers?
(MIRS, July 13, 2010)
If Consumers Energy chooses to implement a $150 million rate increase on July 22 as allowed by Michigan law, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today said the utility will have to apply a specific rate design.

Such a rate increase would amount to $3.76 more in the monthly bill of an average residential customer.

David Waymire of the Customer Choice Coalition said the 2008 Michigan energy law that limited electric choice has raised residential rates in Michigan by about 20 percent -- at a time when rates around the Midwest have been moderating or going down. (full article)

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