utilities

What Oracle and OpenAI execs said about Michigan investments at the groundbreaking of a massive data center in Saline Township. A northeast Ohio community reacts to multiple Bigfoot sightings. Proposed limits on corporate political donations in Michigan. And the work of a statewide program fighting invasive species on a constricted budget.

First, two perspectives on rising utility bills from experts. Plus, Detroit Historian Dan Austin is setting up a foundation to continue his work.

Michigan's public service commissioners — responsible for setting utility rates and ensuring reliable service — would be elected instead of appointed, under legislation proposed by state lawmakers.

The Great Lakes Water Authority board approved an average 5.8% increase for water services, while raising sewer rates by just over 4% on average.

As part of his campaign for the Republican nomination for governor, Tom Leonard released a plan he says is meant to prioritize Michigan families over utility companies.

Virtual power plants let utilities take surplus power from distributed sources of energy, like rooftop solar panels. They can then redistribute it throughout the grid, especially during times when demand is highest.

First, trans advocates plan to protest Michigan Medicine's decision to drop gender-affirming care for youth. Then, a new report found Michigan's utilities are the worst in the nation when it comes to restoring electricity. Also, advice on moving from The Best Advice Show and how to start a micro-garden.

Michigan utilities' average time to restore power to customers after outages was worst among all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2023, according to the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan.

Ann Arbor for Public Power says it intends to collect petition signatures to put the issue of creating a public electric utility before voters in November 2026.

A ballot campaign planning to launch soon would ask voters to ban political donations from committees affiliated with utility monopolies and public contractors.