MPSC adopts voluntary filing guidelines to boost public engagement in Act 30 transmission siting

Lansing — The Michigan Public Service Commission on Jan. 19, 2026 voted unanimously to adopt voluntary filing guidelines for applications under Public Act 30 of 1995, aiming to make transmission-siting proposals more transparent and to prioritize early public engagement. The order takes effect April 29, 2026.

Staff member Marcy Champion told commissioners the guidelines were developed from a staff draft filed Sept. 12, 2025, and refined after comments from transmission owners, advocacy groups and members of the public. Champion said the final document organizes guidance into four major topics — construction plan (including a recommended study area and a designated public contact), public meetings, public notice and application materials — and recommends practices such as advance invitations to affected landowners and municipalities and the use of electronic maps and route-optimization materials in filings.

"These guidelines place early and meaningful public engagement at the center of the Act 30 process," said Commissioner Perit, who thanked staff and outside commenters and said clear expectations help landowners and municipalities participate more effectively. The commission and staff emphasized that the guidelines are voluntary and do not change statute; they are intended to describe what a complete, thoughtful application should include.

Public commenter Val Woolshide Brennan praised the adoption during the meeting's public comment period, saying, "This order signifies important progress to improve Public Act 30, improve landowner engagement and landowner rights." Commissioners acknowledged public contributions to the record and said the guidelines reflect input from transmission operators, advocacy organizations and individual landowners.

Key features described in the order include recommended notice distances tied to the number of alternate routes presented in an application (ranging from roughly 1 mile to 500 feet in staff examples), suggested content for public meeting materials, a 90-day comment window after the final public meeting, and a requirement that applicants provide a public comment summary and supporting engineering, environmental and social information in their application materials.

Commissioners said the guidelines are a first step. Perit noted the commission will next work with interested parties to develop enforceable rules that more clearly express the commission's statutory responsibilities under Act 30. The commission approved the order by unanimous vote; the record in case U-21930 will remain available on the commission's website.

The commission said staff and stakeholders will continue engagement before any rulemaking that would carry the guidelines' provisions into enforceable requirements.