Mich. utility giants, firms clash on energy policy
Lansing — DTE and Consumers Energy clashed Monday with schools and such major firms as Dow Chemical Co. and Amway Corp. over state House legislation that would return Michigan to a full, state-regulated electrical monopoly.
While manufacturers urged the House Energy Policy Committee to keep Michigan’s limited energy competition mandate, the two utility giants warned it could lead to electricity shortfalls as new federal environmental rules start shuttering coal-fired Midwest power plants in the next several years.
“This committee already has heard extensive testimony on the power shortages the Lower Peninsula could be facing as early as next year,” said Consumers Energy Senior Vice President David Mengebier. “This is an urgent and serious challenge for our state, and one that is exacerbated by Michigan’s one-of-a-kind hybrid market.”
