Utility rate hike bill appears before Senate committee

A Michigan bill to keep utility rates steady for three years at a time received a state Senate committee hearing Thursday
 
Right now, utilities can ask regulators to approve a rate increase every 12 months.
 
If regulators don’t decide within ten months, a utility’s full request gets automatically granted.
 
Democratic state Senator Kevin Hertel says that’s not enough time for the public to weigh in and have regulators properly decide. He says a three-year system would be fairer:
 
“We’re cramming everything into ten months. It doesn’t allow for the proper planning. I don’t think it gives the people of our state a true voice in the process. It’s not transparent.”
 
The state’s biggest utilities didn’t weigh in during the committee meeting. But DTE Energy, the largest electric provider in the state, says it’s “mindful” of how its rate increases affect its customers.