In most marketplaces, if customers are not happy with the product or service, they can look at competitors and choose another option. If Ford sells you a lemon, next time you go to buy a car, perhaps you’ll be looking at GM models, a Chrysler, or a foreign car. In the complex utility marketplace, however, things aren’t that simple.The extended power outage and subsequent public relations missteps by the Lansing Board of Water & Light have no doubt left some angry customers wondering how they might be able to switch electricity providers.
Ken Rose is a Senior Fellow at MSU’s Institute for Public Utilities and a nationally recognized expert in electricity market restructuring. He says frustrated utility customers have limited options in Michigan.