Launched in October 2019, MI Power Grid was a focused, multi-year stakeholder initiative supported by Governor Whitmer and the MPSC to maximize the benefits of the transition to clean, distributed energy resources for Michigan residents and businesses.
As part of MI Power Grid, this workgroup was divided into Customer Education and Participation, and Customer Data Access and Privacy, which explored providing safe access to customer energy data, balancing the availability of that data with customer privacy, and promoting customer engagement. More information can be found in Case No. U-20959.
As part of MI Power Grid, the Demand Response workgroup focused on customers responding to demand response events, customer performance,communications and testing, wholesale and retail tariff alignment, and demand response aggregation. More information can be found in Case Nos. U-20628 and U-20348. The workgroup issued a final Demand Response Report.
As part of MI Power Grid, the Energy Programs and Technology Pilots workgroup created a standard process to evaluate pilots which assists in determining whether it’s beneficial to expand programs. outlined in the final report. The workgroup also released the Michigan Pilot Directory.
Integrating Emerging Technologies
As part of the MI Power Grid workgroup, new Michigan Interconnection and Distribution Generation Standards included in Case No. U-20890 were finalized. Rate-regulated utilities and member-regulated cooperatives updated interconnection procedures and forms in utility specific dockets. Further information can be found here.
As part of MI Power Grid, the Competitive Procurement workgroup developed competitive bidding rules and guidance to ensure strong, technology-neutral market response and value for ratepayers through transparency, non-discriminatory access, certainty, and fairness in bidding processes. Further information can be found in Case Nos. U-20633 and U-20852.
The New Technologies and Business Models workgroup, which was part of the MI Power Grid initiative explored new business and ownership models while also understanding opportunities and deployment barriers for behind the meter, community solar, combined heat and power, electric vehicles, energy storage, heat pumps for space and water hearting, and microgrids. This effort will lead to the development of an open-source benefit cost analysis (BCA) tool, aligned with the National Standards Practice Manual (NSPM), to model Michigan’s jurisdiction-specific test (JST) for distributed energy resources (DERs). Case No. U-20898 and Benefit-Cost Analysis Tool Collaborative provides further information.
The MI Power Grid workgroup, is evaluating financial incentives and disincentives to better align utility financial performance with customer reliability and reliability plus. This workgroup is ongoing and more information can be found on the webpage and in Case No. U-21400.
The MI Power Grid workgroup evaluated best practices and optimal standards regarding service quality, reliability, workers safety, and physical and cyber security. Final rulesets were adopted for Service Quality and Reliability Standards for Electric Distribution Systems in Case No. U-20629 and Technical Standards for Electric Service in Case No. U-20630. Subsequent updates to the customer bill credits have been made to the Service Quality and Reliability Standards for Electric Distribution Systems in Case No. U-20629.
As part of MI Power Grid, the Time-Based Pricing workgroup aligned utility rates with the cost to produce electricity at different times. On-peak rates have been implemented in previous electric rate cases for applicable investor-owned utilities.
As part of the MI Power Grid Initiative and with the help of Regulatory Assistance Project, this workgroup explored rate design options for evolving energy technologies such as customer-owned generation and energy storage. The inflow/outflow mechanism was set as a new distributed generation pricing model in Case No. U-18383. A final report, Smart Rate Design for Distributed Energy Resources was filed to Case No. U-20960.
As part of the MI Power Grid Voluntary Green Pricing Tariffs workgroup, existing tariffs for Voluntary Green Pricing were evaluated and approved for all rate-regulated utilities in their respective cases.
As part of MI Power Grid and Senate Resolution 143, the workgroup analyzed the distribution system and the impacts of increasing interconnection of distributed energy resources, electric vehicles, and other emerging technologies, while improving transparency around grid capacity through the use of hosting capacity maps. Further information is provided in Case No. U-21251 and the Grid Integration Study.
As part of MI Power Grid, the Electric Distribution Planning workgroup addressed the utility electric distribution system planning in Michigan with a focus on improving the performance of the electric distribution system and meeting future customer demands. For further information on Distribution Plans, visit the Distribution System Planning webpage.
As part of MI Power Grid, the Integration of Resource/Distribution/Transmission Planning workgroup evaluated ways to align integrated resource planning and distribution planning by examining methodologies, frameworks, and best practices on forecasting distributed energy resources and electric vehicles and non-wires alternatives such as energy waste reduction and demand response. The workgroup identified possible revision to the integrated resource plan modeling parameters and filing requirements to better accommodate transmission alternatives. The workgroup issued the Integration of Resource, Distribution, and Transmission Planning final report.
As part of MI Power Grid, the Integrated Resource Plan (MIRPP, Filing Requirements, Demand Response Study, & Energy Waste Reduction Study) workgroup updated the parameters and filing requirements for utility integrated resource plans.
Find helpful information on current workgroups addressing issues related to energy and telecommunications.
