The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has launched a new offensive to improve the reliability of the state’s electricity grid, ordering both DTE Electric Co. and Consumers Energy Co. to respond to an independent audit, as reported by CBS News Detroit. The audit identified significant issues, including an “extensive backlog” of inspections at DTE and “poor” response times to downed power lines from Consumers Energy, casting light on how these lapses in service can leave Michigan residents vulnerable and frustrated. This initiative comes amid mounting pressures and critiques concerning the state’s energy utilities, where operational and safety lapses intersect with a public burdened by climbing utility rates.