LANSING – The Public Service Commission on Thursday approved a settlement agreement granting American Transmission Company and ATC Management Inc. a certificate to construct a 138 kilovolt overhead transmission line from Holmes Township in Menominee County to the Old Mead Substation in Delta County.
“The new transmission line is intended to improve electric reliability significantly in the Upper Peninsula,” PSC Chair John Quackenbush said in a statement. “The settlement agreement approved today enabled the MPSC to decide this case nine months in advance of the one-year statutory deadline, enhancing ATC’s ability to bring needed improvements to the Upper Peninsula.”
Under the terms of the settlement (Case U-17272), the parties agree the company’s application complies with certain laws and that the proposed route, with a permanent right-of-way of up to 100 feet, is feasible and reasonable.
Also, the company must file notification of the actual date the transmission line is placed in service; file a project completion report; submit lists of all final environmental or construction permits; submit annual progress reports regarding the status of construction; and notify the commission staff when it secures an easement for the abandoned right-of-way.
ELECTRIC RELIABILITY REPORTS: The commission also on Thursday directed all investor-owned utilities and electric cooperatives that file annual electric reliability reports to include power quality information and certain reliability indices.
“The commission is furthering the goal set by Governor Rick Snyder last month to make Michigan a national leader in electric reliability by directing all investor-owned utilities and electric cooperatives to report both power quality information and reliability indices,” Quackenbush said in a statement.
Specifically, the order (Case U-16065 et al) directs Consumers Energy and DTE Electric Company to continue making the annual power quality and reliability report filings, as well as directs investor-owned electric utilities and cooperatives to include both power quality information and the system average interruption duration index, the system average interruption frequency index, and customer average interruption duration index (Case U-12270).
Reports are due by April 2 of each year.
ALPENA POWER COMPANY: The commission also approved a settlement agreement to Alpena Power Company to implement its 2014 power supply cost recovery factor (Case U-17297). Under the terms of the settlement, the utility is authorized to implement a factor of up to 10.70 mills per kilowatt-hour for the 12-month billing period ending December 31.
PLYMOUTH ROCK ENERGY: The commission granted licenses to Plymouth Rock Energy, LLC, as an alternative gas supplier and an alternative electric supplier.
The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Plymouth Rock Energy Parent Holding, LLC, which in turn is partially owned by MVC Private Equity Fund, LP, the commission said. Headquartered in Woodmere, New York, it has established a Michigan office in Royal Oak.
The commission determined the company’s application was in the public interest and that by granting its license, opportunities for competition may expand (Case U-17491, Case U-17492).
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