LANSING – Last year marked the first time an electric cooperative had a customer participate in electric choice despite Michigan having had the option of electric choice for 13 years, an annual report released by the Public Service Commission has found.

But that doesn’t mean no one is using the electric choice system. In fact, the report concluded that about 6,460 customers participated in electric choice programs at the end of 2014, but that’s down from 6,660 in 2013.

And as of December 2014, about 11,000 customers remain in the queue to become electric choice customers.

Among those using electric choice last year, 1,050 customers were serviced by alternative electric suppliers within the Consumers Energy service territory and 5,285 were in the DTE Electric Company service territory, the PSC noted in a statement about the report.

There has been no choice participation in the Indiana Michigan Power Company’s service territory since April 2013, the PSC said, and in the Upper Peninsula Power Company service territory, about 60 were using an alternative supplier (an increase from 39 in 2013).

In the Wisconsin Electric Power Company service territory, 51 customers (the same as 2013) recorded alternative suppliers. In 2013, when two mining facilities migrated to choice within WEPCo’s service territory along with several other customers, it resulted in approximately 84 percent of the utility’s load taking choice service, the PSC noted. But those facilities have since entered into non-binding agreements in principle that would result in the mining facilities taking a significant majority of its power from UPPCo.

That outcome, however, is dependent on a series of binding agreements being reached and subsequent regulatory approvals, and would be expected to occur no earlier than the third quarter of 2015. In the meantime, the facilities were scheduled return to WEPCo power supply on February 1.

During 2014, one customer began taking electric choice service in the Cloverland Electric Cooperative service territory and 13 customers did so in the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation service territory (the same as 2013).

Throughout 2014, the electric choice programs for Consumers Energy, DTE, UPPCo, and WEPCo were fully subscribed at the 10 percent cap mandated by Public Act 286 of 2008, which is expected to be at the center of energy debate and discussion this year since many of the provisions in that law will expire.

VIDEO SERVICES: The PSC also issued its annual report on the status of competition for video services in Michigan, which found, among other things that in 2014, providers reported having one competitor in 666 franchise areas, two competitors in 200 franchise areas, and three competitors in three franchise areas.

Those numbers represent a change from the ratio of one competitor in 93 franchise areas, two competitors in 49 franchise areas, and three competitors in seven franchise areas prior to the law governing such competition, PA 480 of 2006.

The number of providers in Michigan in 2014 was 42, down two from 2013, after one provider closed and another, separate provider merged with another company.

The report also found providers reporting 2,319,536 video/cable customers in Michigan during 2014, a decrease of 17,020 over what was reported the previous year (not including subscribers to satellite services).

The Commission received 1,574 video/cable customer complaints and inquiries in 2014, an increase of 345 over 2013. The most frequent complaints, it said, were: billing, charges and credits; customer service; and equipment service problems.

This story was provided by Gongwer News Service. To subscribe, click on Gongwer.Com