Leonard Wants Utilities To Restore 95% Of Power Within 48 Hours

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 01/07/2025) Michigan power companies would be required under law to restore power to 95% of their customers after a major storm or face escalating fines, management oversight changes or rejected cost recovery proposals under a proposal released Wednesday from Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Leonard.

Leonard's Energy Accountability and Reliability Reform package also phases in retail electricity choice for residential business customers. The utilities would still own and maintain the poles, wires and substations and be the default provider unless a customer opts out. Currently, there's a 10 percent cap on electricity choice.

Leonard wants to blow up the cap and prevent utilities from having “exclusive control” over the state's power supply.

“Utilities operate as state-sanctioned monopolies with guaranteed profit recovery, minimal consequences for outages and frequent rate increases that outpace inflations,” Leonard said. “Michigan ranks poorly on reliability and storm restoration while ratepayers bear rising costs.”

The Republican candidates also want to restore local control over solar panel and wind turbine siting, repeal “green energy mandates” and prevent state-owned land from being cleared for energy projects “or sold to hostile nations like China.”

The Michigan Public Service Commission would be expanded from three to five members with both legislative leaders getting an appointment, the attorney general getting an appointment and the governor being limited to two. Also, commissioners could work for a utility between three and five years after service.