"State Proposes Penalties for Utilities Amidst Power Outages"

The Michigan Public Service Commission is proposing financial penalties for utility providers in the state that experience repeated power outages or take too long to restore power. The penalties would apply to providers whose customers face four or more sustained outages a year, with even harsher penalties for seven or more outages. Last year, over 163,000 DTE Electric customers and over 173,000 Consumers Energy customers experienced four or more outages. The proposal also includes penalties tied to the time it takes to restore power during major storms. The state is accepting public input on the proposals until September 22.