LANSING – The

Public Service Commission on Tuesday directed Consumers Energy Company to

submit additional information on its proposed pilot solar distribution

generation program and opened the public comment period on the initiative.

The utility

filed an application in May (Case U-17875) seeking approval of a pilot program including

about 100 customers designed to promote solar distribution generation, gather

information relating to customer interest in such, and provide interested

customers an opportunity to obtain distributed solar generation for their home

or business.

The utility

would contract with the vendors, which would in turn contract directly with

customers interested in participating in the program. It would not own the

solar equipment, and customers would be free to implement solar generation

projects through other vendors outside the pilot program, the PSC explained.

The case has

been one to watch by environmental interests (See Gongwer

Michigan Report, April 17, 2015).

Because the

utility asked for certain waivers from the Code of Conduct, the commission said

in a statement, it directed the utility to provide, by June 20, more specific

information on the applicability of, and possible need for, the waivers. It

also asked the utility for more information on how the program would function

overall, including more information about the criteria for vendors, how fees

paid to Consumers by selected vendors and other direct and indirect costs would

be accounted for in the event of a dispute, and details about the proposed

on-bill repayment system.

The

commission is also seeking public comment on the utility’s application and

additional information. Written and email comments may be submitted by 5 p.m.

July 10, referencing the case number, to Executive Secretary, Michigan Public

Service Commission, P.O. Box 30221, Lansing, MI 48909 or [email protected].

DTE ENERGY

CHANGES: The commission also approved a settlement authorizing DTE Electric Company

and DTE Gas Company to amend energy optimization plans, resulting in customers

using 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month seeing an increase of 9 cents

on their monthly bills effective January 1, 2016 (Case U-17762).

Among the

terms, the amended plan must include outreach programs for commercial and

industrial customers to be implemented in 2016; efficiency measures for

agricultural customers, including the development of a pilot project that would

explore the potential for geographically-targeted energy efficiency to defer a

distribution upgrade; and promotion of the sale of residential heat pump

dryers.

Under the

terms of a separate settlement (Case U-17763), the utility will develop outreach programs for

commercial and industrial natural gas customers to be implemented in 2016,

resulting in a decrease of 56 cents on the monthly bills of customers using 100

ccf of natural gas a month, effective January 1, 2016.

SEMCO

CHANGES: The PSC approved a settlement with SEMCO Energy Gas Company to extend

its natural gas main replacement program and increase its associated surcharge,

resulting in an increase of $1.19 on the monthly bill of residential natural

gas customers using 100 ccf of gas a month (Case U-17824).

RENEWABLE

ENERGY SURCHARGE: Environmental interests welcomed a filing by DTE Energy to

eliminate its renewable energy surcharge.

“Michigan’s

renewable energy standard is saving families and businesses, as shown once

again by DTE’s decision to eliminate its renewable surcharge,” Wibke

Heymach, Moms Clean Air Force regional manager for the Midwest, said in a

statement. “The Michigan Legislature has a real opportunity to help

ratepayers save even more by increasing our renewable energy standard this

year.”

This story

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