October 21, 2002

"Michigan's residential and business natural gas customers are participating in record numbers in natural gas customer choice programs," Michigan Public Service Commission Chairman Laura Chappelle announced today.  "Since the programs began four years ago, consumer participation has nearly quadrupled, with 375,000 residential and business customers now choosing an alternative natural gas supplier."
 
There are currently four natural gas Customer Choice programs operating in Michigan.  The Commission has approved permanent customer choice programs for Consumers Energy Company, DTE Energy (Michigan Consolidated Gas Company), Aquila-MGU and SEMCO Energy Gas Company.  The increased number of alternative gas suppliers participating in DTE Energy's and Consumers Energy's customer choice programs is one reason for the record participation. Over 167,000 new customers have exercised their option to choose an alternative gas supplier since this time last year.  Currently, there are no alternative gas suppliers participating in Aquila-MGU's or SEMCO's choice programs.  Customers interested in choice should contact their local gas utility for a list of alternative gas suppliers participating in their choice program or visit the Commission websites mentioned below.  Customer participation is completely voluntary.  Customer participation is on a first-come, first-served basis, with a varying cap for each company.  The cap for Consumers Energy's program is scheduled to come off April 1, 2003, when all its customers will be eligible to participate in the program.

More details on natural gas customer choice statistics may be obtained at: http://www.cis.state.mi.us/mpsc/gas/choicestat.htm. Information about customer choice programs and participating alternative gas suppliers can be obtained at:  http://www.cis.state.mi.us/mpsc/gas/choice.htm

Consumers Energy, DTE Energy, SEMCO Energy and Aquila-MGU are headquartered in Jackson, Detroit, Port Huron, and Kansas City, Missouri, respectively.  They provide natural gas service to about 1,500,000, 1,200,000,  230,000 and  155,000 Michigan customers, respectively.

The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Consumer and Industry Services.