November 22, 2005

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today approved a new Consumers Energy Company tariff designed to attract new industrial economic development to Michigan.

“A top priority of the Michigan Public Service Commission is taking all reasonable steps to improve Michigan’s economic health,” said MPSC Chairman J. Peter Lark.  “The tariff my fellow Commissioners and I approved today will contribute to attracting much-needed, new economic development to Michigan.”

On Nov. 15, Consumers Energy Company filed an application seeking approval of a new economic development tariff.  The tariff offers a fixed rate for qualifying industrial customers that can demonstrate an increase in annual connected load of at least 70,200,000 kilowatt-hours.   The tariff is open for new businesses for two years from its effective date.  Any new tariff customers within that two-year period would remain eligible for the 10-year term of the tariff.

To ensure that a customer is not merely shifting load from one existing site to another, or moving load between sites or providers within Michigan, a customer is required to certify that its claimed eligible new load does not result from business closure, sale, relocation of work from another facility within Michigan, or from existing customer load otherwise served by alternative sources of generation.

The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Labor & Economic Growth.

Case No. U-14692