To build nukes, Customer Choice must be eliminated. [View All]

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http://www.monroenews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080217/NEWS01/885482283/-1/NEWS

DTE moving ahead with Fermi 3 plan

By: Charles Slat story updated February 16. 2008 10:33PM

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When the company announced it would consider building a new plant about a year ago, it was said to be contingent on regulatory reform that would change Public Act 141's Customer Choice provisions and eliminate some uncertainty involving investment in a new generating plant.

Several pieces of reform legislation that would alter the state law were introduced last year and are in legislative committee. They've generated considerable controversy, with opposition being voiced from those who represent interests ranging from senior citizens to big power-gobbling industries.

The Customer Choice Coalition (CCC), a conglomeration of big and little customers alike, isn't convinced, suggesting that power demand is declining and Michigan's utilities merely want to return to the days when they had a complete monopoly on the state's energy market.

DTE is welcome to build any kind of plant they want, said David Waymire of the CCC, "but they shouldn't be able to force every customer in the state to automatically buy power from that plant and to pay for it upfront. We don't do that with any other business decision out there. They're supposed to be a free enterprise company that takes risks on its own and gets rewards for it. They shouldn't be allowed to shove those risks on the backs of all the customers whether they want to take those risks or not."

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