The Michigan Public Service Commission today took note of a remarkable year in 2020 as it worked to maintain Michiganders’ access to safe, reliable and affordable energy and telecommunications amid a worldwide pandemic that upended lives and shook the economy. The COVID-19 pandemic response dominated the MPSC’s work in 2020, as the MPSC Staff transitioned to working remotely to ensure that the agency’s mission of energy and telecommunications regulation continued uninterrupted. Here’s a top 10 list of the MPSC’s highlights from 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic The MPSC staff was among the first state agencies to fully transition to remote working, but the agency didn’t miss a beat in tackling critical issues during the pandemic. The MPSC worked with energy utilities and other State of Michigan agencies to help expand protections and assistance for vulnerable customers. Efforts included ensuring that more than 3,500 disconnected households had their service reconnected and directly linking 41,000 low-income customers to energy assistance. We also helped ensure that $162 million in federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds were distributed broadly, with an additional $35.1 million Congress made available to the state through the CARES Act federal pandemic stimulus.