Dan Scripps

IRON MOUNTAIN — Members of the Michigan Public Service Commission reminded residents during a visit Tuesday that help may be available from a variety of sources if they’re having trouble paying their energy bills.

Chiefly, the State Emergency Relief Program is aimed at aiding low-income households to pay part of their heating or electric bills, or having service restored. Another option is the Michigan Energy Assistance Program, which works with households to provide assistance and self-sufficiency services.

A first step is to call 211, a free service that can connect people with the information and resources they need, Commissioner Tremaine Phillips said.

“Call for help,” he said.

MPSC is charged with ensuring safe, reliable and accessible energy and telecommunication services at reasonable rates. The commission, staffed in eight divisions, is composed of three members appointed by the governor to serve staggered six-year terms.

Chairman Dan Scripps was joined Tuesday in Iron Mountain by Phillips and Commissioner Katherine Peretick for a public hearing on Upper Michigan Energy Resource Corp.’s integrated resource plan, a 20-year strategy for reliable electricity service.

A key feature is UMERC’s proposed addition of 100 megawatts of solar generation to a portfolio now anchored by natural gas-fueled facilities in Negaunee Township and Baraga Township, generating about 183 megawatts.

UMERC is a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group, the parent company of We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service, with more than 42,000 customers in the central and western Upper Peninsula.

The commission must decide if UMERC’s plan is acceptable in terms of reliability, cost-effectiveness and diversity of resources, Scripps explained. “The specifics often come later,” he said, noting no siting proposal is under review.

Peretick, who has worked in the public and private sectors with a focus on energy storage and technology development, said rapid advances in solar generation and storage capacity makes it necessary to keep any energy outlook fluid. Projects once considered marginal might become “absolutely cost-effective,” she said.

The commissioners and Public Information Officer Dan Helms touched on other topics as well:

— The MI Propane Security Plan, released in March, is a five-step plan to ensure Michigan’s propane needs are met. It was developed in collaboration with the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, Department of Technology, Management and Budget and the Michigan Department of Transportation. Although propane is not specifically regulated by MPSC, the commission has been involved in market oversight. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has called for new rail infrastructure in the U.P. and developing propane storage tanks near rail spurs.

— Severe storms this past year have underscored the need for electric utilities to strengthen the power grid and adopt practices to reduce the frequency and duration of outages. Fallen trees and tree branches are the leading cause of outages in Michigan, leading to new incentives for additional tree trimming. After launching an inquest into grid reliability, more work lies ahead to deal with the challenges of severe weather events.

— The Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund is expanding high-speed fixed broadband service to rural homes and businesses. MPSC has worked with stakeholders to ensure more income-eligible households sign up for the federal Emergency Broadband Benefit program, which offers monthly bill discounts and $100 toward an internet-enabled device.

— Enbridge Energy filed an application in 2020 with MPSC requesting to move its Line 5 oil pipeline into a tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac. The commission in April 2021 rejected considering arguments on whether there is a public need for the entirety of the Line 5 pipeline. It agreed with intervenors that the effects of greenhouse gas emissions be considered in the case under the Michigan Environmental Protection Act. Initial briefs in the case are due Feb. 18, and reply briefs are due March 11.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.