Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University
@ipu-msu.bsky.social
Supporting informed, effective, & efficient regulation of electricity, gas, water, and broadband utilities since 1965.
"...solar power is also seen as a way for Jamaica and other nations in one of the world’s most hurricane-prone regions to become more resilient to ever-intensifying storms."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/c...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/c...
Jamaicans Have Been Turning to Solar Power. It Paid Off After the Storm.
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 1:36 PM
"...solar power is also seen as a way for Jamaica and other nations in one of the world’s most hurricane-prone regions to become more resilient to ever-intensifying storms."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/c...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/c...
Reposted by Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University
Big utilities claim botched rebuild of Lake Michigan power plant in $600M trial
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
Big utilities claim botched rebuild of Lake Michigan power plant in $600M trial
A jury will decide whether a Toshiba subsidiary owes Michigan's two largest utilities, DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, hundreds of millions related to a pricey overhaul of the Ludington Pumped Storag...
www.mlive.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Big utilities claim botched rebuild of Lake Michigan power plant in $600M trial
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
Big utilities claim botched rebuild of Lake Michigan power plant in $600M trial
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
Big utilities claim botched rebuild of Lake Michigan power plant in $600M trial
A jury will decide whether a Toshiba subsidiary owes Michigan's two largest utilities, DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, hundreds of millions related to a pricey overhaul of the Ludington Pumped Storag...
www.mlive.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Big utilities claim botched rebuild of Lake Michigan power plant in $600M trial
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
www.mlive.com/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University
Virginia needs these solutions - flexibility from data centers that can (they bring batteries for their needs and shift their loads), and other data centers buy us batteries, so we can be flexible with our aggregated loads. (And grid upgrades they all pay for.)
🎁 Gift link: Insightful op-ed on electricity prices by @tnorris.bsky.social
Why the rise?
⬆️ natural gas prices
⬆️ costs to modernize the grid and rebuild after hurricanes, wildfires
"Ask the largest power users to draw a little less from the grid during the limited hours when it’s most strained."
Why the rise?
⬆️ natural gas prices
⬆️ costs to modernize the grid and rebuild after hurricanes, wildfires
"Ask the largest power users to draw a little less from the grid during the limited hours when it’s most strained."
Opinion | A Simple Fix to America’s Soaring Electricity Prices
www.nytimes.com
November 4, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Virginia needs these solutions - flexibility from data centers that can (they bring batteries for their needs and shift their loads), and other data centers buy us batteries, so we can be flexible with our aggregated loads. (And grid upgrades they all pay for.)
Reposted by Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University
🎁 Gift link: Insightful op-ed on electricity prices by @tnorris.bsky.social
Why the rise?
⬆️ natural gas prices
⬆️ costs to modernize the grid and rebuild after hurricanes, wildfires
"Ask the largest power users to draw a little less from the grid during the limited hours when it’s most strained."
Why the rise?
⬆️ natural gas prices
⬆️ costs to modernize the grid and rebuild after hurricanes, wildfires
"Ask the largest power users to draw a little less from the grid during the limited hours when it’s most strained."
Opinion | A Simple Fix to America’s Soaring Electricity Prices
www.nytimes.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:51 PM
🎁 Gift link: Insightful op-ed on electricity prices by @tnorris.bsky.social
Why the rise?
⬆️ natural gas prices
⬆️ costs to modernize the grid and rebuild after hurricanes, wildfires
"Ask the largest power users to draw a little less from the grid during the limited hours when it’s most strained."
Why the rise?
⬆️ natural gas prices
⬆️ costs to modernize the grid and rebuild after hurricanes, wildfires
"Ask the largest power users to draw a little less from the grid during the limited hours when it’s most strained."
"The plan revealed Friday involves signing a 30-year agreement to buy back the dams’ power from Confluence at a starting price of $160 per megawatt-hour, with a 2.5% annual price increase." #EnergySky
bridgemi.com/michigan-env...
bridgemi.com/michigan-env...
Consumers: Selling Michigan dams, paying double for power cheapest route - Bridge Michigan
Company officials hope to get regulators’ signoff on plans to essentially give away 13 dams, then buy back the power at twice the going rate. They say that’s cheaper for ratepayers than the alternativ...
bridgemi.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:41 PM
"The plan revealed Friday involves signing a 30-year agreement to buy back the dams’ power from Confluence at a starting price of $160 per megawatt-hour, with a 2.5% annual price increase." #EnergySky
bridgemi.com/michigan-env...
bridgemi.com/michigan-env...
Reposted by Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University
Massachusetts heat pump owners will pay lower electric rates starting this weekend — and the program could help more residents install clean heat.
Massachusetts heat-pump owners are about to get cheaper electricity
The state’s innovative winter heat-pump rates go into effect this weekend and should make the tech more accessible. Deeper discounts could come next year.
www.canarymedia.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Massachusetts heat pump owners will pay lower electric rates starting this weekend — and the program could help more residents install clean heat.
One Michigan electric utility "has proposed establishing special rules that would require data center operators to sign 15-year contracts that guarantee consistent electricity use and impose steep exit fees on data center operators that downsize or cease operations mid-contract."
Tech giants announce $7B data center, Michigan’s first hyperscale campus - Bridge Michigan
Three tech companies have announced plans to build a massive data center on 575 acres in rural southwest Washtenaw County.
bridgemi.com
October 31, 2025 at 11:36 AM
One Michigan electric utility "has proposed establishing special rules that would require data center operators to sign 15-year contracts that guarantee consistent electricity use and impose steep exit fees on data center operators that downsize or cease operations mid-contract."
Interesting new work from our @michiganstateu.bsky.social colleagues.
msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/10...
msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/10...
Farming meets solar power in new MSU project
Michigan State University scientists plan to build a first-of-its-kind outdoor lab to study how solar panels placed alongside crops could save water, improve soil health and support ecosystems, all wh...
msutoday.msu.edu
October 29, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Interesting new work from our @michiganstateu.bsky.social colleagues.
msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/10...
msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/10...
Reposted by Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University
How democratic is your water utility? It turns out that those with elected leaders perform better.
This week's @latimes.com Boiling Point newsletter features new research by @kbdobbin.bsky.social and @alfencl.bsky.social on water democracy in California www.latimes.com/environment/...
This week's @latimes.com Boiling Point newsletter features new research by @kbdobbin.bsky.social and @alfencl.bsky.social on water democracy in California www.latimes.com/environment/...
The safety of your water could be related to how your water utility is run
Some water utilities are run by elected leaders, others aren't. Research shows utilities with elected managers tend to deliver more affordable drinking water.
www.latimes.com
October 23, 2025 at 4:29 PM
How democratic is your water utility? It turns out that those with elected leaders perform better.
This week's @latimes.com Boiling Point newsletter features new research by @kbdobbin.bsky.social and @alfencl.bsky.social on water democracy in California www.latimes.com/environment/...
This week's @latimes.com Boiling Point newsletter features new research by @kbdobbin.bsky.social and @alfencl.bsky.social on water democracy in California www.latimes.com/environment/...
"According to Robb, grid reliability challenges include dwindling resource adequacy with weakening reliability services, extreme weather, interdependency with natural gas and other sectors, especially telecommunications..." 1/2
www.utilitydive.com/news/data-ce...
www.utilitydive.com/news/data-ce...
NERC president warns of ‘five-alarm fire’ for grid reliability
“The reliability of the power grid remains extremely high, but, paradoxically, the risks to reliability continue to mount,” the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s Jim Robb told federal regula...
www.utilitydive.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:59 PM
"According to Robb, grid reliability challenges include dwindling resource adequacy with weakening reliability services, extreme weather, interdependency with natural gas and other sectors, especially telecommunications..." 1/2
www.utilitydive.com/news/data-ce...
www.utilitydive.com/news/data-ce...
"The review includes 21 battery energy storage projects, two solar and three wind projects, with most of the interconnection requests in Massachusetts..." Among the wind projects is a proposed 1200 MW of offshore wind farm.
www.utilitydive.com/news/iso-new...
www.utilitydive.com/news/iso-new...
ISO New England launches cluster study of 26 battery, wind and solar projects
The projects have a combined summer rated capacity of about 8 GW. The transitional cluster study is the first under a new review framework and is expected to be completed in August 2026.
www.utilitydive.com
October 22, 2025 at 12:25 PM
"The review includes 21 battery energy storage projects, two solar and three wind projects, with most of the interconnection requests in Massachusetts..." Among the wind projects is a proposed 1200 MW of offshore wind farm.
www.utilitydive.com/news/iso-new...
www.utilitydive.com/news/iso-new...
Reposted by Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University
Ag, clean water, or data centers. Someone’s gonna be forced to make a choice pretty soon.
🎁Gift link: "A crippling drought is depleting its reservoirs, and the city expects it won’t be able to meet the area’s water demand in as soon as 18 months. In addition to industrial users, the water utility serves more than 500,000 people in seven counties."
www.wsj.com/us-news/clim...
www.wsj.com/us-news/clim...
This Texas Town Is an Energy Powerhouse. It’s Running Out of Water.
A severe drought has Corpus Christi scrambling to meet growing demand from companies like Exxon and Tesla that have invested billions of dollars in the region.
www.wsj.com
October 13, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Ag, clean water, or data centers. Someone’s gonna be forced to make a choice pretty soon.
Mark your calendars for the next IPU professional education course in public utilities regulation: Cost Allocation and Rate Design.
Attendees may choose from sessions on natural gas, electricity, and/or water - discounts for attending multiple sessions. Register at the link below. 👇
Attendees may choose from sessions on natural gas, electricity, and/or water - discounts for attending multiple sessions. Register at the link below. 👇
Advanced Regulatory Studies Program
www.canr.msu.edu
October 13, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Mark your calendars for the next IPU professional education course in public utilities regulation: Cost Allocation and Rate Design.
Attendees may choose from sessions on natural gas, electricity, and/or water - discounts for attending multiple sessions. Register at the link below. 👇
Attendees may choose from sessions on natural gas, electricity, and/or water - discounts for attending multiple sessions. Register at the link below. 👇
🎁Gift link: "A crippling drought is depleting its reservoirs, and the city expects it won’t be able to meet the area’s water demand in as soon as 18 months. In addition to industrial users, the water utility serves more than 500,000 people in seven counties."
www.wsj.com/us-news/clim...
www.wsj.com/us-news/clim...
This Texas Town Is an Energy Powerhouse. It’s Running Out of Water.
A severe drought has Corpus Christi scrambling to meet growing demand from companies like Exxon and Tesla that have invested billions of dollars in the region.
www.wsj.com
October 13, 2025 at 1:34 PM
🎁Gift link: "A crippling drought is depleting its reservoirs, and the city expects it won’t be able to meet the area’s water demand in as soon as 18 months. In addition to industrial users, the water utility serves more than 500,000 people in seven counties."
www.wsj.com/us-news/clim...
www.wsj.com/us-news/clim...
At today's Advanced Regulatory Accounting and Auditing course, we'll be covering rate case auditing and the treatment of income taxes.
There is still time to register for the IPU Advanced Regulatory Accounting & Auditing class starting tomorrow (10/7).
*Increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities in regulatory rate case accounting and auditing
*Earn continuing professional education credits
*Network with utility professionals 👇
*Increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities in regulatory rate case accounting and auditing
*Earn continuing professional education credits
*Network with utility professionals 👇
Advanced Regulatory Studies Program
www.canr.msu.edu
October 8, 2025 at 11:20 AM
At today's Advanced Regulatory Accounting and Auditing course, we'll be covering rate case auditing and the treatment of income taxes.
The US Dept. of Energy ordered the Michigan utility to keep its coal plant open despite its planned retirement in May 2025, citing an "energy emergency." But who is going to pay for it?
www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-do...
www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-do...
Groups challenge MISO cost allocation plan for coal power plant
Industrial, business and environmental groups say they should not have to pay to continue running a 1,560-MW, coal-fired power plant that doesn’t benefit them after the DOE ordered it to stay open.
www.utilitydive.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:51 PM
The US Dept. of Energy ordered the Michigan utility to keep its coal plant open despite its planned retirement in May 2025, citing an "energy emergency." But who is going to pay for it?
www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-do...
www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-do...
Reposted by Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University
Today is the day!!! Existential Politics is out in the world!
Read about why we’re doing climate policy wrong (too focused on measuring emissions) & what we should do instead (focus on $$ to constrain fossil asset owners & expand green asset owners). Just in time for #COP30.
Read about why we’re doing climate policy wrong (too focused on measuring emissions) & what we should do instead (focus on $$ to constrain fossil asset owners & expand green asset owners). Just in time for #COP30.
Existential Politics
A new way to tackle the real politics of climate change through asset revaluation
press.princeton.edu
October 7, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Today is the day!!! Existential Politics is out in the world!
Read about why we’re doing climate policy wrong (too focused on measuring emissions) & what we should do instead (focus on $$ to constrain fossil asset owners & expand green asset owners). Just in time for #COP30.
Read about why we’re doing climate policy wrong (too focused on measuring emissions) & what we should do instead (focus on $$ to constrain fossil asset owners & expand green asset owners). Just in time for #COP30.
Reposted by Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University
There is still time to register for the IPU Advanced Regulatory Accounting & Auditing class starting tomorrow (10/7).
*Increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities in regulatory rate case accounting and auditing
*Earn continuing professional education credits
*Network with utility professionals 👇
*Increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities in regulatory rate case accounting and auditing
*Earn continuing professional education credits
*Network with utility professionals 👇
Advanced Regulatory Studies Program
www.canr.msu.edu
October 6, 2025 at 8:05 PM
There is still time to register for the IPU Advanced Regulatory Accounting & Auditing class starting tomorrow (10/7).
*Increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities in regulatory rate case accounting and auditing
*Earn continuing professional education credits
*Network with utility professionals 👇
*Increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities in regulatory rate case accounting and auditing
*Earn continuing professional education credits
*Network with utility professionals 👇
There is still time to register for the IPU Advanced Regulatory Accounting & Auditing class starting tomorrow (10/7).
*Increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities in regulatory rate case accounting and auditing
*Earn continuing professional education credits
*Network with utility professionals 👇
*Increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities in regulatory rate case accounting and auditing
*Earn continuing professional education credits
*Network with utility professionals 👇
Advanced Regulatory Studies Program
www.canr.msu.edu
October 6, 2025 at 8:05 PM
There is still time to register for the IPU Advanced Regulatory Accounting & Auditing class starting tomorrow (10/7).
*Increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities in regulatory rate case accounting and auditing
*Earn continuing professional education credits
*Network with utility professionals 👇
*Increase your knowledge, skills, and abilities in regulatory rate case accounting and auditing
*Earn continuing professional education credits
*Network with utility professionals 👇
Excited to see this project coming together after many years of planning!
www.mlive.com/news/grand-r...
www.mlive.com/news/grand-r...
Solar array at former landfill to power Grand Rapids city operations by 2027
The solar array will generate electricity to power the city's traffic signals, streetlights and municipal buildings during daylight hours.
www.mlive.com
September 11, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Excited to see this project coming together after many years of planning!
www.mlive.com/news/grand-r...
www.mlive.com/news/grand-r...
Private equity firm to buy all Consumers Energy dams in Michigan for $13
www.mlive.com/environment/...
www.mlive.com/environment/...
Private equity firm to buy all Consumers Energy dams in Michigan for $13
The Michigan utility says the sale will preserve the dams and their upstream impoundments while saving its customers money.
www.mlive.com
September 10, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Private equity firm to buy all Consumers Energy dams in Michigan for $13
www.mlive.com/environment/...
www.mlive.com/environment/...
Reposted by Institute of Public Utilities at Michigan State University
'In the measured world of grid operators, warnings like these are “unprecedented,” said Abe Silverman, an attorney, energy consultant,&research scholar @JHU. But so is the threat of the federal government smashing a cornerstone of a region’s energy mix, he said.
www.canarymedia.com/articles/off...
www.canarymedia.com/articles/off...
Halting Revolution Wind could be a disaster for New England’s grid
If Trump kills the now-frozen offshore wind project, utility customers will pay more money for dirtier and less reliable electricity.
www.canarymedia.com
September 5, 2025 at 1:50 PM
'In the measured world of grid operators, warnings like these are “unprecedented,” said Abe Silverman, an attorney, energy consultant,&research scholar @JHU. But so is the threat of the federal government smashing a cornerstone of a region’s energy mix, he said.
www.canarymedia.com/articles/off...
www.canarymedia.com/articles/off...
Join us for IPU's Accounting and Ratemaking Course:
Sept. 9-11, 2025
Introduces the concepts of public utility accounting, financing, cost allocation, & rate design to public utility commissioners, professional staff, consumer & environmental advocates, utility personnel, & other stakeholders. 👇
Sept. 9-11, 2025
Introduces the concepts of public utility accounting, financing, cost allocation, & rate design to public utility commissioners, professional staff, consumer & environmental advocates, utility personnel, & other stakeholders. 👇
Accounting and Ratemaking Course
www.canr.msu.edu
September 4, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Join us for IPU's Accounting and Ratemaking Course:
Sept. 9-11, 2025
Introduces the concepts of public utility accounting, financing, cost allocation, & rate design to public utility commissioners, professional staff, consumer & environmental advocates, utility personnel, & other stakeholders. 👇
Sept. 9-11, 2025
Introduces the concepts of public utility accounting, financing, cost allocation, & rate design to public utility commissioners, professional staff, consumer & environmental advocates, utility personnel, & other stakeholders. 👇