Michigan’s natural gas system has over 65,000 miles of distribution pipelines and over 3.7 million service lines. Natural gas is used as the primary heating fuel in more than 77% of Michigan households. In recent years, the largest increases in natural gas usage have occurred in generation of electricity.
The MPSC regulates the safety and reliability of natural gas transmission, distribution, and gathering systems through a comprehensive set of safety and technical standards and associated compliance inspection and enforcement activities. These regulatory functions are conducted pursuant to state and federal laws and rules with authority delegated by the federal government.
The MPSC has the jurisdiction to regulate the retail natural gas rates and conditions of service, including metering and billing, to residential, commercial and industrial customers for seven natural gas utilities.
According to the EIA, Michigan ranks third among the country's states for the highest average annual spending per household on propane. Although propane prices are not regulated, the MPSC monitors the market to identify irregularities that may result in supply or price disruptions.