Michigan
The Michigan Public Service Commission approved an order to penalize utility companies for failing to improve their reliability on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Companies may have to pay up to $10 million in penalties, according to the Detroit News. In an audit released by a third party in September, it was found that DTE Energy and Consumers Energy had “worse than average” reliability than other companies.
In a press release from MPSC, they explained that the workgroup they put together for the order’s key focus will be distribution reliability and its fundamentals.
National
As of Monday, March 3, there are over 170 wildfires in North and South Carolina.
The largest fire spread over 1,600 acres and was 30% contained on Sunday. Residents in that area were able to return home on March 2, according to The New York Times.
Residents were also advised that if the flames rekindled, they should evacuate again.
South Carolina was put into a state of emergency and had a burn ban placed by Gov. Henry McMaster on Sunday.
Global
India – Construction workers were found alive in metal containers in the aftermath of an avalanche in the Himalayas in India.
The avalanche happened on Friday, Feb. 28, and buried 54 workers. Eight of the workers were killed while the other 46 were rescued, according to BBC News.
The rescue took place over roughly 60 hours in below-freezing temperatures and ended on Sunday, March 2.