79% Michigan Residents Want Electric Competition

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Electric Competition for Michigan NOW!

Oct 04, 2010, 04:45 ET

Poll Confirms: Michigan Wants Choice When It Comes to Electricity

LANSING, Mich., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Members of the Michigan business coalition Electric Competition for Michigan NOW! today released the results of a new poll on electric competition, conducted by Marketing Resource Group. Of 600 Michigan residents polled, 79 percent said homeowners and businesses should be able to select their electric company, just as they choose their telecommunications and natural gas providers.

"As a multi-generational, family-owned chain of Michigan restaurants, we live in the real world of free market competition, which breeds tight profit margins, but also low costs for consumers, efficiency, and high quality services and products. That benefits everyone," said Tommy Brann, owner of Brann's Sizzlin' Steaks and Sports Grille and a member of the Electric Competition for Michigan NOW! coalition. "But today, the cards are heavily stacked against Michigan businesses when we must compete against one another but our electricity providers, be it Detroit Edison (DTE) or Consumers Power, do not, resulting in the twin evils of rising electric rates for us and lost opportunities for job creation in Michigan."

Electric Competition for Michigan NOW! is opposed to the current monopoly system in Michigan's electricity market, which gives 90 percent of the market to DTE and Consumers Energy, allowing just 10 percent of Michigan's electricity consumers to have a choice when selecting an electricity supplier. The 10 percent cap was met within the first year, by 2009, and there is currently a waiting list of more than 1,000 customers that have submitted paperwork to shop for competitive electricity. Electric Competition for Michigan NOW! supports eliminating the cap on competition or at least increasing the cap from 10 to 25 percent (or higher).

"Unlike businesses regionally and nationally, Michigan businesses have not seen any of the benefits felt by the national drop in wholesale electric rates," said Brann. "In fact, our utility bills have spiked over the last 24 months. The current monopoly system in Michigan is hurting our businesses and hurting job creation.

"As always, we invite every individual, every business, every trade association and interested party to unite with us today at Electric Competition for Michigan NOW! (www.competition4mi.com). "Tell your legislator to help Michigan businesses by voting "YES" to raise the cap on electric choice in Michigan."

Electric Competition for Michigan NOW! is also pleased to note that just one month after launching the coalition, 600 individuals have becomes Facebook "Fans", over 1,000 people are following the actions of the coalition on Twitter, and business membership continues to grow.

The Coalition encourages all Michigan consumers to become informed on, follow and fan the issue at:

Electric Competition for Michigan NOW! (www.competition4mi.com) is a coalition of customers, suppliers, and trade associations whose mission is to promote the right for Michigan consumers to have real energy choices when selecting their electricity provider. Its members include: American Hospitality Management; Bay County Maintenance Department; Buffalo Wild Wings; Brann's Sizzlin' Steaks & Sports Grille; Campbell Grinder Company; Carrier Great Lakes; Capstone Enterprises, LLC; Constellation NewEnergy; Dart Container Corp.; Direct Energy Services, LLC; Duncan Aviation, Inc.; Durcon, Inc.; Energy Plus Holdings, LLC; Energy Michigan; Harding's Galesburg Markets, Inc.; Haworth, Inc.; Hess Corp.; International Extrusions, Inc.; Just Energy; Kent Quality Foods; L.C. Manufacturing; Leggett & Platt, Inc.; Liberty Power Corp.; Magda Farms; MC Flex Corp.; Monroe Environmental Corp.; Nu-Wool Co., Inc.; Oleson's Food Stores; Paladin, Inc.; Pratt & Whitney; Retail Energy Supply Assoc.; Sempra Energy Solutions, LLC; T&J, Inc.; Wendy's Arby's Group.

The MRG Michigan poll is an omnibus statewide poll of Michigan voters focusing on various issues in the news. The poll surveyed a random sample of 600 likely voters from September 14 through 19. The sample was stratified by likely voter turnout in the upcoming gubernatorial election. All interviews were conducted by telephone using professional interviewers. The margin of error is +/-4 percent, using a confidence level of 95 percent.

SOURCE Electric Competition for Michigan NOW!