This bill amends the existing law governing public and private utilities in Michigan, specifically focusing on the costs that electric and natural gas utilities can recover through their rates. It introduces a new section, 6bb, which prohibits utilities from recovering costs associated with various expenses related to their board of directors and officers, including compensation, travel, entertainment, and lobbying activities. Additionally, the bill restricts the recovery of costs for advertising and charitable contributions unless specifically approved by the commission.

If the commission finds that a utility has improperly recovered such costs, it is mandated to order a refund to customers, along with interest, and impose fines based on the number of offenses. The fines range from $1,000 to 0.5% of the utility's annual revenue, depending on whether it is a first, second, or subsequent offense. The bill also stipulates that any fines collected must be deposited into the low-income energy assistance fund. Definitions for "advertising" and "lobbying" are provided to clarify the terms used in the context of the bill.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 460.1, 460.11