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POWER UTILITY COMPANIES CODE

In addition to protecting the public, electrical companies owe these duties to any individual engaged in a lawful occupation in a place where he is entitled to be under this case. In addition, electrical companies have a duty to prevent injury to people coming in contact with their wires - and it applies to the public in general, according to West Texas Utilities Company v Renner. In other words, the power company is responsible for keeping the public safe – not cleaning or covering up the mess after its defective power lines or equipment have caused an otherwise preventable injury or death.

“While it may be evidence of due care, conformity with industry standards is not conclusive on the question of negligence where a reasonable person engaged in the industry would take additional precautions under the circumstances.”.

“Although we do not follow a rule of absolute liability, the defendant’s duties to inspect and repair involve more than merely remedying defective conditions actually brought to its attention.”.

“Electric companies must exercise ordinary care to guarantee that equipment is kept in reasonably safe condition.”.

POWER UTILITY COMPANIES CODE

Compliance with the National Electric Safety Code or an industry-wide standard is not an absolute defense to a claim of negligence.

“A power company has an obligation to reasonably inspect and repair wires and other instrumentalities in order to discover and remedy hazards and defects.”.

Schultz grabbed the upright ladder to move it away, and a “brilliant flash” occurred, without contacting any wire, tragically killing him.

They used a 27-foot aluminum extension ladder to reach the peak of the house with paint. In the case, plaintiff Duane Schultz was electrocuted while helping a friend paint his house. is considered a “service,” rather than a “product,” and principles of negligence, rather than strict liability or product liability, apply.Īlthough laws from state to state may vary, a good example of the duties owed to people in the vicinity of electric conductors can be found in the Michigan Supreme Court case of Schultz v Consumers Power Company, 443 Mich 445, 406 N.W. In general, the provision of distribution power by electric utility companies in the U.S. The following utilities provide additional information about their Electric Choice programs.Protect people in the vicinity of power lines Your power supply will continue to be delivered by your local electric utility regardless of which alternative electric supplier you choose. If your utility’s 10 percent cap is fully subscribed, you will be placed in their queue.ĭue to the limit on participation, no licensed AESs are currently marketing or enrolling residential customers.The rates of AESs are not regulated. However, under state law, no more than 10 percent of an electric utility’s average weather-adjusted retail sales for the preceding calendar year may take service from an AES at any time. If you are an electric business customer of Consumers Energy Company, DTE Electric Company, Upper Peninsula Power Company, Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corporation or Cloverland Electric Cooperative, you may choose to shop for your power supply through an AES or continue to get your electric supply from your current electric utility under existing regulated rates (rates of Cloverland are not regulated by the MPSC).

Michigan’s Electric Customer Choice program permits you to shop for power supply for your business from a diverse market of licensed alternative electric suppliers (AES).