The Commission
The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) is the state agency that regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas, and telecommunications utilities across Michigan.
The MPSC sets the rates you pay for electricity and natural gas, approves where power plants and solar farms get built, reviews utility long-term energy plans, and handles complaints when your utility screws up. It is a three-member commission appointed by the governor, with no more than two members from the same political party. The Commission has existed in its current form since 1939 and operates with roughly 200 staff, funded not by taxes but by annual assessments on the utilities it regulates.
Electric
8 investor-owned utilities and 9 rural electric cooperatives
Natural Gas
7 investor-owned gas utilities, plus pipeline safety oversight
Telecommunications
Landline, video/cable oversight, and provider dispute resolution
Major Regulated Utilities
| Utility | Services |
|---|---|
| Consumers Energy | Electric & Gas |
| DTE Energy | Electric & Gas |
| Indiana Michigan Power (AEP) | Electric |
| Upper Peninsula Power Co. (UPPCO) | Electric & Gas |
| SEMCO Energy | Gas |
| Alpena Power | Electric |
| Upper Michigan Energy Resources | Electric & Gas |
| Michigan Gas Utilities | Gas |
- Municipal utilities — Municipally owned systems like Lansing Board of Water & Light and Holland BPW are exempt from MPSC rate regulation (though they must file renewable energy plans).
- Water utilities — Unlike some other states, Michigan does not regulate water through its public utility commission.
- Interstate wholesale and transmission — Regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
- Motor carriers — Authority transferred from the MPSC to Michigan State Police in 2015.
Location
7109 W. Saginaw Highway, Lansing, MI 48917
Staff
Approximately 195 professionals in engineering, law, economics, and related fields
Funding
Funded by annual assessments on regulated utilities, not general fund tax revenue
Government Position
Autonomous entity within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), executive branch
E-Dockets
The MPSC's electronic case filing system where all public documents are filed. Anyone can search cases, file public comments, or petition to intervene. mi-psc.my.site.com
Learn More
From the Railroad Commission of 1873 to the clean energy laws of 2023 — 150 years of utility regulation in Michigan.
Current and past members of the three-person commission, their backgrounds, and term dates.
The rate case process, types of proceedings, who participates, and how the MPSC is organized internally.
The statutes, administrative rules, and federal-state jurisdictional lines that define what the MPSC can and cannot do.
Disclaimer: Open MPSC is an unofficial, independent project. It is not affiliated with the Michigan Public Service Commission or the State of Michigan. Information on this site is compiled from public sources for reference purposes. For official records and current information, visit michigan.gov/mpsc.