The tax credit, required by Public Act 295, is available to certain electric customers who have been charged a renewable energy surcharge on their monthly electric bills. It is not available to Great Lakes Energy consumer/members. The credit is based on an itemized surcharge (maximum $3 per month) that appears on residential bills as a renewable energy surcharge. GLE does not have a renewable energy surcharge. The MPSC notes that only three Michigan electric utilities charged a renewable energy surcharge in 2009: Detroit Edison ($3 per month); Consumers Energy electric ($2.50 per month); and Alpena Power Company ($3 per month). The fee was not billed prior to September 2009 and is only available for those months in which it was actually billed (maximum four months). The credit is located on the 2009 Michigan Schedule 2 Nonrefundable Credits form, under “Energy Cost Recovery Surcharge Credit.” Those who qualify for the credit must have a gross income equal to or less than $65,000 for single/married filing separate and $130,000 for joint filers. The credit cannot be claimed if the utility did not bill for the surcharge or for months that the surcharge was not billed. The renewable energy surcharge tax credit is unrelated to the power supply cost recovery factor, which appears as a separate line item on electric bills.

The Power Supply Cost Recovery (PSCR) factor may fluctuate throughout the year.

For information on the current factor, please contact our Member Services Department at 1-888-485-2537, ext. 8924 or email us at billing@glenergy.com.

PSCR stands for Power Supply Cost Recovery, which is a charge passed through from our power supplier to have electricity generated and delivered across transmission lines to Great Lakes Energy’s distribution system. Ideally, the purpose of the PSCR factor is to collect only what is needed each budget year to cover our power supply costs. But that is often not possible because financial conditions affecting power generation and transmission costs can change frequently and often unexpectedly. Periodic adjustments to the PSCR factor are often necessary to help keep any over- or under-collections of PSCR-related revenue to a minimum.

Assuming large, unexpected hikes in energy prices do not occur this year, the PSCR factor should be able to meet current needs. Should power supply costs decrease during the year, the PSCR factor could be reduced.

We will continue to look out for the best interests of our members, although pending legislative and environmental issues and the volatility of energy costs may impact our future efforts to keep power supply costs affordable.

Great Lakes Energy offers special meter bases that include a manual transfer switch for portable generators. The cost for these meter bases is $350. Please visit the meter base page for more information.

Security lighting (outdoor lighting) costs are listed in our rate book here. Please contact us at 888-485-2537 and ask for the member service coordinator in your area for more information.

Overhead (OH) does require a 30 foot right-of-way, 15 feet on each side of the power lines. For underground (UG) we require a 10 foot right-of-way.

The landowner of the property that we need to cross is required to sign an easement. Easements can be obtained from Great Lakes Energy.

Yes. The cost will be determined after a visit to your site by a layout technician. There is no set fee for an RV hook up. Full construction charges are applied.

The temporary overhead (OH) pole must be within 50′ of the nearest GLE pole, underground (UG) should be within 10′ of the nearest UG box. You are responsible for installation of the temporary service. Local electricians are a good source for temporary poles.

Under normal circumstances it should take 10 business days, weather permitting, to install your electric service after all paperwork, fees and inspections are completed.