COMPETE today submitted a letter to Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and state legislative leaders petitioning them to reconsider legislation that caps the state's competitive market at 10 percent of retail sales. The letter was delivered on behalf of scores of businesses that represent nearly 877 facilities, $278 million in annual electricity costs, 74,634 employees, and thousands of customers who visit them each week.
The retail cap legislation, adopted in 2008, was quickly reached and significantly limits electric customers' ability to choose their electric supplier. Since the law was enacted, the state's monopoly utilities have filed a series of rate increases totaling an almost 10 percent increase from October 2008 to December 2009. Michigan's electric rates are now the highest in its region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.