LANSING, MI (WTVB) – Consumers Energy officially submitted a new electric rate increase request to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today, kicking off a formal 10-month regulatory review process.
Consumers is seeking a $456 million annual revenue hike, marking its largest financial ask in more than 20 years.
If approved as submitted, the filing would translate into a 9.8% increase on monthly bills for residential customers.
Consumers says the additional funding is critical for grid modernization, infrastructure upgrades, and extensive tree-trimming initiatives aimed at reducing storm-related power outages across Michigan.
The filing comes on the heels of mounting public frustration and political pushback, arriving exactly on the earliest date permitted under state law.
Regulators previously authorized a $276.6 million rate increase for the utility that just took effect on May 1, 2026. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has publicly condemned the rapid succession of requests, calling the dynamic a “never-ending cycle” that signals a broken utility regulatory system.
Nessel’s office has formally intervened in the case, pledging to thoroughly scrutinize the company’s operational expenses and protect ratepayers from absorbing unjustified corporate costs.
I thought all the solar panels going in were suppose to lower our electric but it feels like the electric company is having the public pay for all of it by raising electric rates all the time it hard enough with gas prices being so high electric company needs to start using the solar that’s put in to help with cost unless it not for Branch County Residents and if that’s the case solar panels don’t need to take up fields that could be used for crop to feed families just my thoughts thanks
It’s greed and Government overreach.
If you buy solar panels and battery and put them on your house, then you may never have to worry about Consumer’s rates again (or at least not very much). Sadly, the current federal leadership cut support for solar and wind, and then went and launched a war nobody wanted that will impact the natural gas prices that fuel our power plants. So gasoline AND electricity costs will go up for everyone. So will fertilizer costs and then food costs, even though we have plenty of land for crops to feed families. Other costs will go up, too!
They already charge to much
How about, No. Already raised the rates no too long ago. I see your company has brand new vehicles driving around. How about manage the money that’s coming like the rest of us do. Consumers energy is no better than the government when it comes to taking our money.
This rate increase will cause many to switch to solar and batteries for home generation. The economics makes even more sense.
Time to go 100% solar. These prices are out of control.
Nope. No more rate hikes. If they want to raise rates then they can call around to out employers and demand they pays us more.
Here’s a novel idea, how you greedy SOBs turn off all the light that seem to be on in your office building at night! The one in Jackson Mi. is all lit up! You preach to us about conserving energy to lower our bills while in the mean time you leave all the damn lights on, and then have the balls to ask, I mean DEMAND a rate hike, AGAIN! All right, enough enough, it time for we the people to declare war against greedy energy companies! Dana, you put a stop to this, this is price gouging!
My problem is this is the only company where consumers habe to pay for the company to make money. We dont own the poles or the lines but yet we are paying for it. That should be illegal regardless. I have owned 2 businesses and I was not allowed to out the cost of ky equipment onto the customer.
My problem is this is the only company that is allowed to charge the consumers for the company’s equipment to give me electric that u them pay for again. That makes no sense. We consumers dont own the towers or lines but yet we have to pay for it and no other company’s in the united states is allowed to charge its customers for their equipment. Construction companies dont charge us for their trucks and shovels. My company never charged for my computers or ladders or tools. Why is this ok for consumers. I also seen that one year we were charged for the company to keep their employees paid well in the competitive electrician field if work. So they asked for a hike increase and the State of Michigsn gave it to them. I complained because its my job as the company owner to pay my employees and it comes out of my companies profits not out of my customers. Since when do custo.ers get charged for the companies employee pay rates but yet they were allowed. Our public service commission is suppose to be for the public not for the businesses in Michigan but yet they allows fight for the business. I have lived in many states while I served in the military for over 10 years and this is the ONLY STATE THAT ALLOWS THIS TYPE OF ACTION FOR THE ELECTRIC COMPANY!!!! And if this model was applied to all business wnere they could charge th customer for the employee benefits then no one would have money. You could not live. And as the owners of CONSUMERS have huge profits because we are paying for their employee wages and benefit packages its not coming out if consumers energy profit margins as it does with 99 percent of companies in AMERICA and its just wrong. This needs to change or its gonna lead to billion dollar companies taking more from Americans if this pay model is used everywhere. Can you imagine having to pay for GM or Ford Employee benefit packages. This needs to stop with consumers. And if their profit margins were not as high then maybe the state help them but thats not the case. And if we consumers also owned the equipment they purchased with our money then maybe but they get the equipment for free from us Michiganders and then charge us for providing electricity that we paid for the equipment. HOW IS THAT OK?????
Energy is FREE! You can draw energy from the atmosphere by placing the wires 100feet up. Since 1911 Nickolas Tesla proved this. Stop charging for FREE energy!