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MI SB1170

MI SB1170
Public utilities: consumer services; eligibility for utility power outage credits; provide for. Amends 1939 PA 3 (MCL 460.1 - 460.11) by adding sec. 9g. TIE BAR WITH: SB 1171'26

summary

Introduced
09/10/2026
In Committee
09/10/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

103rd Legislature

Bill Summary

A bill to amend 1939 PA 3, entitled"An act to provide for the regulation and control of public and certain private utilities and other services affected with a public interest within this state; to provide for alternative energy suppliers; to provide for licensing; to include municipally owned utilities and other providers of energy under certain provisions of this act; to create a public service commission and to prescribe and define its powers and duties; to abolish the Michigan public utilities commission and to confer the powers and duties vested by law on the public service commission; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state governmental officers and entities; to provide for the continuance, transfer, and completion of certain matters and proceedings; to abolish automatic adjustment clauses; to prohibit certain rate increases without notice and hearing; to qualify residential energy conservation programs permitted under state law for certain federal exemption; to create a fund; to encourage the utilization of resource recovery facilities; to prohibit certain acts and practices of providers of energy; to allow for the securitization of stranded costs; to reduce rates; to provide for appeals; to provide appropriations; to declare the effect and purpose of this act; to prescribe remedies and penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,"(MCL 460.1 to 460.11) by adding section 9g.

AI Summary

This bill amends Michigan's foundational public utility laws to require electric utilities to automatically provide financial credits to customers when their power goes out during a billing cycle, offering a measure of relief common when severe weather or grid failures cause extended blackouts. Under the legislation, residential customers would receive scaled hourly credits that increase the longer the power stays out, starting at five dollars for the first hour and escalating up to twenty-five dollars for every hour a blackout lasts seventy-two hours or longer, with any unused credit amounts automatically rolling over to future utility bills until fully used up. For nonresidential customers, such as businesses, the Michigan Public Service Commission—the state regulatory body that oversees public utilities—must establish a specific formula based on the business's average hourly energy load over the prior year. Additionally, the bill directs the commission to adjust these residential credit amounts every five years to keep pace with inflation, utilizing the Consumer Price Index, which is a standard federal statistical measure tracking changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for goods and services in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area. Finally, the bill includes a tie-bar provision, meaning it cannot officially become law unless a related piece of legislation, Senate Bill 1171, is also enacted.

Committee Categories

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Sponsors (8)

Last Action

Referred To Committee On Energy And Environment (on 09/10/2026)

Bill Topics

Energy
  • ‐ Electricity and Hydroelectricity
(1 Companion Bills)

bill text

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Document Type Source Location Created
State Bill Page https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-SB-1170 09/10/2026
BillText https://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2025-2026/billintroduced/Senate/htm/2026-SIB-1170.htm 09/10/2026
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