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SB 930

Public utilities: electric utilities; guidelines for applications for certificates of public convenience and necessity; provide for. Amends sec. 8 of 1995 PA 30 (MCL 460.568).

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Rosemary Bayer and 1 co-sponsor

Strengthens Michigan’s electric transmission line certification by expanding public notice and intervenor rights, instituting a 1-year decision deadline, and a 5-year construction

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
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Bill Summary · SB 930

Summary of SB 930 (2025-2026) – Michigan

Overview

  • Bill: Senate Bill 930
  • Session: 2025-2026
  • Jurisdiction: Michigan
  • Topic: Public utilities – electric transmission line certificates of public convenience and necessity; establishes guidelines for applications and public involvement.
  • Status: Introduced April 23, 2026; referred to the Committee on Energy and Environment
  • Primary sponsors: Sen. Singh; Sen. Bayer (co-sponsors)

Purpose and Intent

SB 930 amends Section 8 of the Electric Transmission Line Certification Act (as originally enacted by 1995 PA 30 and amended by 2004 PA 198) to strengthen the public notice, participation, and procedural timeline surrounding applications for certificates of public convenience and necessity for major electric transmission lines. The bill aims to increase transparency, broaden local participation (especially for affected municipalities and landowners), and set clear procedural deadlines and standards for decision-making by the Michigan Public Service Commission (the Commission).

Key Provisions and Changes

Public Notice and Stakeholder Involvement

  • Requirment for public notice of application opportunities to comment.
  • Notice delivery by mail to:
    • Each municipality and landowner along the proposed and alternate routes.
    • Each municipality and landowner within 1 mile of the centerline of the right-of-way for the proposed and alternate routes.
    • Each municipality and landowner in the geographic area between the proposed and alternate routes.
  • Notice content to include:
    • Case number and instructions for subscribing to docket notifications via the Commission’s website.
    • Highlighted maps of proposed and alternate routes.
    • If the line is >5 miles, a highlighted map of the area within 1 mile of the routes and land between the routes.
    • Contact information for a dedicated representative authorized to communicate on behalf of the applicant.
    • Details about the types of information the applicant may request from landowners and municipalities (property characteristics, land use, historical/environmental features, and the kinds of rights being sought).
  • Public notice also to be published in a newspaper of general circulation and sent to affected municipalities and landowners.
  • Notice material must be written in plain, nontechnical language with a clear title indicating “NOTICE OF INTENT TO CONSTRUCT A MAJOR TRANSMISSION LINE.”

Procedural Process and Intervenor Rights

  • The Commission must conduct the proceeding as a contested case under the Administrative Procedures Act.
  • Affected municipalities and landowners are granted full intervenor status by right in the proceedings.

Fees and Expert Support

  • The Commission may assess application fees to cover administrative costs.
  • The Commission may require the applicant to hire consultants selected by the Commission to assist in evaluating issues raised by the application.

Timelines and Decision Standards

  • The Commission must grant or deny the certificate no later than 1 year after the filing date.
  • If a party submits an alternative route, the Commission must approve either the applicant’s proposed route or one alternative route, or deny the application.
  • The Commission may condition its approval to ensure public convenience, health, safety, and reliability.

Standards for Granting a Certificate

  • The Commission shall grant the certificate if it determines:
    • The public benefits (quantifiable and nonquantifiable) justify construction.
    • The proposed or alternative route is feasible and reasonable.
    • The project does not pose an unreasonable threat to public health or safety.
    • The applicant has accepted conditions contained in a conditional grant.

Certificate Details

  • A certificate issued under this section will identify the major transmission line’s route and include an estimated construction cost.

Duration and Renewal

  • If construction does not begin within 5 years of the certificate grant date, the certificate becomes invalid and a new certificate is required.

Who is Affected

  • Electric utilities, affiliated transmission companies, and independent transmission companies proposing major transmission lines.
  • Affected municipalities and landowners located along or near proposed/alternative routes (and within the 1-mile centerline area and the area between routes).
  • The Commission, which would oversee contested-case proceedings, assessment of fees, and possible use of consultants.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

  • The filing triggers a contested-case process with guaranteed intervenor status for affected parties.
  • The Commission has a firm 12-month deadline to act on the certificate application.
  • The process contemplates alternative route considerations and potential conditions to ensure safety, reliability, and public interest.
  • A 5-year construction deadline applies to maintain the validity of a granted certificate.

Summary

SB 930 strengthens community engagement and procedural rigor in Michigan’s electric transmission line certification process. It expands notification requirements, formally includes landowners and municipalities as parties with intervenor rights, allows the Commission to assess fees and hire neutral consultants, and sets a clear one-year decision timeline along with a five-year construction validity window. The bill emphasizes public benefits, feasibility, safety, and reliability as central criteria for granting certificates.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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