LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Residential customers are paying higher electric bills than they were a year ago, and critics say it's because of a Michigan law that limited competition in the power market.

Opponents of the law say Detroit Edison households are paying about $11 more a month than last October, a 20 percent hike. Consumers Energy households are paying about $5, or 9 percent more.

The Customer Choice Coalition held a Capitol press conference Tuesday to urge eliminating or changing the law's 10 percent cap on competition.

Utility officials have said the law is working as intended. Regulated utilities pushed the law so they could have a guaranteed customer base before building more power plants. But demand for electricity is falling, not rising.

So the article sucks -- it ends too early and doesn't make any valuable points. However, taken in the context of carbon footprint legislation, limited resources, and the falling dollar, rising prices are certainly not anticipated. Did the customers think their bills wouldn't rise with increased plant construction? Did the utilities think demand wouldn't fall (especially in recession-strapped Detroit) with even a seemingly modest rise in rates?

Most importantly, though, this article insinuates that, like the Republicans insist, we should let the market do the work when it comes to conserving energy. Restricted competition? Higher bills? Less consumption, less carbon output, happier polar bears (not to mention drier Georgia residents).

-janelane