A large storm that brought 70 plus mile per hour winds across Michigan left over half a million people without power for several days. The Michigan Public Service Commission announced via press release yesterday that they will audit the state’s two largest energy providers, DTE Electric and Consumers Energy.
The MPSC’s audit comes due to “a lack of progress in reducing power outages and ensuring the public doesn’t come into contact with downed power lines” according to the October 5th press release. The audit will include a review of all equipment and operations of the two utilities’ distribution systems.
“These actions represent a new approach to the MPSC’s work to hold the state’s two largest electric utilities to account for persistent reliability and safety challenges,” MPSC Chair Dan Scripps said. “Over the past decade the MPSC has issued a series of directives in response to wide-spread outages after storms. While there are important efforts underway, the reality is that we still haven’t seen the improvements in reliability and safety that Michigan customers deserve. This effort to get an independent assessment of the utilities’ distribution infrastructure, programs, and processes will inform next steps and provide a necessary path forward to a power grid that meets the expectations of its customers.”
For more information, follow the link below to MPSC’s Press Release.