LANSING – Legislation that would cap Michigan electric choice at 10 percent of the loads of the two largest utilities ? plus allow them to build the interest charges on a new power plant into the rate base if they can show need – could be introduced in the Senate by week’s end.

Rep. Frank Accavitti (D-Eastpointe), chair of the House Energy and Technology Committee, said he expects the entire package – reforms to PA 141, energy efficiency and the renewable portfolio standard – to move out of the House on Thursday.

“We’re going to hopefully run the 141 reform bill out of committee this week,” he said. The committee is scheduled for Wednesday.

Though the bill (HB 5524 ) has been tweaked through the workgroup process, Accavitti said it has largely the same elements it has from the beginning. Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison would have no more than 10 percent of their load open to choice; the utilities would build new power plants under a certificate of need process that requires a showing of need for the plant but allows the utility to charge the interest on construction loans to ratepayers; and the utilities would have to create integrated resource plans to show they are aware of and making the best use of all the various power sources available.

Accavitti said the bill also expands current consumer protections by allowing the utilities to more quickly implement rate increases but allowing the Public Service Commission to rule the rates are too high and charge the utility interest on the excessive charges.

Though competitors and some business groups have continued to complain about provisions in the legislation, Accavitti said he did not expect to entertain many amendments at Wednesday’s meeting. “It’s my hope that since we had such an extensive workgroup process …that there’ll be very few amendments within the committee so that members can make a well informed vote as it leaves committee on Wednesday.”

Workgroups have also still been meeting on the RPS and energy efficiency bills (HB 5548 , HB 5549 and HB 5525 ), and Accavitti said he expected to see substitutes for both of those bills on the House floor Thursday for a final vote on the entire package.

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