Michigan Laws 460.573 – Information as public record; disclosure of confidential information; waiver
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(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, information obtained by the commission under this act is a public record as provided in the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.231 to 15.246.
(2) An electric utility, affiliated transmission company, or independent transmission company may designate information received from a third party that the electric utility, affiliated transmission company, or independent transmission company submits to the commission in an application for a certificate or in other documents required by the commission for purposes of certification submitted to the commission as being only for the confidential use of the commission. The commission shall notify the electric utility, affiliated transmission company, or independent transmission company of a request for public records under section 5 of the freedom of information act, 1976 PA 442, MCL 15.235, if the scope of the request includes information designated as confidential. The electric utility, affiliated transmission company, or independent transmission company has 10 days after the receipt of the notice to demonstrate to the commission that the information designated as confidential should not be disclosed because the information is a trade secret or secret process or is production, commercial, or financial information the disclosure of which would jeopardize the competitive position of the electric utility, affiliated transmission company, or independent transmission company or the person from whom the information was obtained. The commission shall not grant the request for the information if the electric utility, affiliated transmission company, or independent transmission company demonstrates to the satisfaction of the commission that the information should not be disclosed for a reason authorized in this section. If the commission makes a decision to grant a request, the information requested shall not be released until 3 days have elapsed after notice of the decision is provided to the electric utility, affiliated transmission company, or independent transmission company.
Terms Used In Michigan Laws 460.573
- Affiliated transmission company: means a person, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity, or its successors or assigns, which has fully satisfied the requirements to join a regional transmission organization as determined by the federal energy regulatory commission, is engaged in this state in the transmission of electricity using facilities it owns that were transferred to the entity by an electric utility that was engaged in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in this state on December 31, 2000, and is not independent of an electric utility or an affiliate of the utility, generating or distributing electricity to retail customers in this state. See Michigan Laws 460.562
- Certificate: means a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued for a major transmission line under this act or issued for a transmission line under section 9. See Michigan Laws 460.562
- Commission: means the Michigan public service commission. See Michigan Laws 460.562
- Electric utility: means a person, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity whose transmission or distribution of electricity the commission regulates under 1909 PA 106, MCL 460. See Michigan Laws 460.562
- Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. Source: OCC
- Independent transmission company: means a person, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity, or its successors or assigns, engaged in this state in the transmission of electricity using facilities it owns that have been divested to the entity by an electric utility that was engaged in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity in this state on December 31, 2000, and is independent of an electric utility or an affiliate of the utility, generating or distributing electricity to retail customers in this state. See Michigan Laws 460.562
- person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
(3) If any person uses information described in subsection (1) to forecast electrical demand, the person shall structure the forecast so the third party is not identified unless the third party waives confidentiality.