2026 Senate Bill 1170

Public utilities: consumer services; eligibility for utility power outage credits; provide for.

A bill to amend 1939 PA 3, entitled “An act to provide for the regulation and control of public and certain private utilities and other services affected with a public interest within this state; to provide for alternative energy suppliers; to provide for licensing; to include municipally owned utilities and other providers of energy under certain provisions of this act; to create a public service commission and to prescribe and define its powers and duties; to abolish the Michigan public utilities commission and to confer the powers and duties vested by law on the public service commission; to provide for the powers and duties of certain state governmental officers and entities; to provide for the continuance, transfer, and completion of certain matters and proceedings; to abolish automatic adjustment clauses; to prohibit certain rate increases without notice and hearing; to qualify residential energy conservation programs permitted under state law for certain federal exemption; to create a fund; to encourage the utilization of resource recovery facilities; to prohibit certain acts and practices of providers of energy; to allow for the securitization of stranded costs; to reduce rates; to provide for appeals; to provide appropriations; to declare the effect and purpose of this act; to prescribe remedies and penalties; and to repeal acts and parts of acts,” (MCL 460.1 to 460.11) by adding section 9g.

AI Analysis – Experimental

Senate Bills 1170 and 1171 mandate automatic bill credits for Michigan electric utility customers experiencing service interruptions, with escalating compensation based on outage duration and periodic adjustments for inflation, contingent on related legislation.

Introduced in the Senate

Sept. 10, 2026

Introduced by Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-3) and seven co-sponsors

Co-sponsored by Sens. Jeff Irwin (D-15), Rosemary Bayer (D-13), Mary Cavanagh (D-6), Erika Geiss (D-1), Sue Shink (D-14), Dayna Polehanki (D-5) and Mallory McMorrow (D-8)

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Environment