With these additions, all of Michigan’s public power utilities are now engaged in joint action.
On January 21, 2026, MPPA’s Board of Commissioners unanimously approved five new Associate Member applications to join MPPA, marking a milestone for public power in Michigan. With the addition of these utilities, every municipal electric provider in the state is now engaged in joint action, whether through MPPA or a neighboring agency.
The new Associate Members include:
- Village of Daggett (~150 meters)
- City of Dowagiac (~2,780 meters)
- Village of Newberry (~1,440 meters)
- City of Stephenson (~510 meters)
- City of Wakefield (~1,460 meters)
“This move brings all of Michigan’s municipally owned electric utilities together under one of three joint action agencies in Michigan,” said Katie Abraham, executive director of the Michigan Municipal Electric Association. “These Members’ participation in MPPA is one of the most significant gains in public power since I started at MMEA and reinforces the fact that we stronger together, supporting reliability, affordability, sustainability and a unified voice for public power in Michigan.”
Why Now?
Michigan’s regulatory landscape for electric utilities has grown increasingly complex. Recent legislation, particularly PA-235 (addresses Clean and Renewable Energy) and PA-341 (addresses Resource Adequacy) requires all utilities, regardless of size, to meet detailed compliance and reporting requirements.
“For smaller utilities where staff often wear multiple hats, staying current on these requirements represents a significant time and resource burden,” said Patrick Bowland, CEO and General Manager of MPPA. “That’s where MPPA delivers value, pooling expertise and resources so individual utilities don’t have to build and maintain that capability on their own.”
What Associate Membership Provides
As Associate Members, these utilities can now participate in MPPA’s Planning, Service, and Administrative Projects. While Associate Members do not participate in MPPA’s Asset Projects (such as the Belle River, Campbell, or Combustion Turbine projects), they gain access to a range of services designed to help utilities of all sizes navigate regulatory compliance.
PA-235 Compliance (Clean and Renewable Energy)
Michigan’s Clean and Renewable Energy and Energy Waste Reduction Act requires utilities to track and report renewable energy credits through the Michigan Renewable Energy Credit System (MIRECS) and administer Voluntary Green Pricing (VGP) programs for customers who want to support renewable energy.
MPPA provides Associate Members with access to:
- Monitoring of current and upcoming compliance requirements
- MIRECS account management, including credit transfers, retirements, project registrations, and annual report filings with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC)
- VGP program support, including website hosting for customer sign-ups, monthly usage tracking, and the aggregation and retirement of credits needed to fulfill subscriber commitments
PA-341 Compliance (Resource Adequacy)
Under PA-341, municipal utilities must demonstrate they have secured 95% of their forecasted capacity needs four planning years ahead. This capacity demonstration filing must be submitted to the MPSC.
MPPA administers this filing on behalf of Associate Members, ensuring they meet their resource adequacy obligations without having to navigate the process alone.
Welcome!
MPPA’s membership accounts for approximately 85% of the public power load in Michigan. We’re excited to welcome Daggett, Dowagiac, Newberry, Stephenson, and Wakefield to the MPPA Team!
