Ontario Premier Doug Ford has issued a formal warning to officials in Michigan, New York, and Minnesota regarding a potential 25% surcharge on electricity exports from Canada.
This measure is a direct response to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on Canadian goods.
Dan Scripps, chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission, addressed concerns about the potential ramifications of this surcharge on Michigan.
According to Scripps, the impact is expected to be minimal.
“Even though there’s a fair amount of electricity that moves through Michigan originating in Canada, very little of it is actually purchased by Michigan,” said Scripps.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), which oversees electricity management for 45 million Americans across 15 states, including Michigan, reported that in 2024, less than 1% of its energy was sourced from Canada, with less than half of that originating from Ontario.
This is equivalent to the output of just one power plant. DTE Energy has indicated that it generates the majority of its electricity domestically and only procures a small portion from within the United States.
The company also sources its natural gas domestically. Consumers Energy said it does not import electricity from Canada.
The company connects with Ontario for natural gas only when it is economically advantageous and emphasizes that it is not reliant on Canadian supply.
However, Consumers Energy is closely monitoring the situation to ensure that costs remain low for customers.
Scripps also noted that if Ford proceeds with shutting down electricity to Michigan, New York, and Minnesota, the electrical grid could become more vulnerable.
“It removes one layer of resilience from the system as a whole, and that can have really significant impacts. We saw what happens when those flows get disrupted, and then other things go wrong, back in 2003 with the blackout that covered New York City and all the way into Detroit and Ann Arbor,” Scripps said.
A spokesperson with Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office has confirmed receiving Ford’s letter.
However, as of late Friday (March 7) afternoon, the governor’s office has not yet responded to Local 4’s request for a response to the letter.
