City of Taylor v. Detroit Edison Co.

We granted leave to appeal in this case to reconcile plaintiffs constitutional authority to exercise “reasonable control” over its streets with the Michigan Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) broad regulatory control over public utilities. Consistent with our longstanding precedent, we hold that a municipality’s exercise of “reasonable control” over its streets cannot impinge on matters of statewide concern nor can a municipality regulate in a manner inconsistent with state law. In this case, the MPSC has promulgated uniform rules governing the relocation of utility wires underground. To the…