The bill amends the existing law governing public utilities in Michigan by adding a new section, 6bb, which establishes specific procedural requirements for covered requests related to large-load data centers. It mandates that the Michigan Public Service Commission must aggregate electric demand across affiliated facilities when determining if a request qualifies as a large-load data center. Furthermore, if a covered utility enters into a request that offers preferential rates or terms that deviate from standard tariffs for these data centers, the commission must conduct a contested case review before the request can take effect. This ensures that such agreements are not approved on an ex parte basis and cannot be implemented until the commission issues a final order.

Additionally, the bill clarifies definitions relevant to the new section, including terms such as "affiliated," "covered request," "covered utility," "data center," and "large-load data center." It emphasizes that the new procedural requirements do not alter the substantive ratemaking standards or limit the commission's discretion in approving or denying requests. The intent of this amendment is to provide a structured review process for large-load data centers while maintaining the commission's regulatory authority.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 460.1, 460.11