Michigan Survey Shows Support for Electric Choice

Three-fourths of Michigan residents support ending the electric choice cap in Michigan, the Customer Choice Coalition and Energy Choice Now said yesterday,

An EPIC-MRA statewide poll question asked: "Would you favor a change in state law that would allow all customers to purchase their electric service from any supplier that is able to provide reliable electric service to their area and compete for customers by offering electric service at a lower price, or, would you oppose such a change and prefer keeping things as they are?"

Seventy-four percent of respondents favored changing state law, with 56 percent of respondents strongly favoring the change, and 18 percent somewhat favoring change. Only 12 percent strongly opposed a change, while six percent where somewhat opposed and eight percent undecided.

The survey also asked voters if they thought that, "having competition among companies that provide electric service, like it has been done in the natural gas and telecommunications industries, is a good way or a bad way to control energy costs?"

Seventy-five percent of respondents said that competition is a good way to control energy costs, with 49 percent saying it was "very good," and 26 percent saying it was "somewhat good."

The EPIC-MRA poll is a statewide poll of Michigan voters focusing on various issues in the news. The poll surveyed a random sample of 600 likely voters from August 6-9, 2011. All interviews were conducted by telephone using professional interviewers. The margin of error is ±4 percent.