The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has approved DTE Energy’s ex parte application for two special contracts to provide power to a planned 1.4-gigawatt data center in Saline Township. The decision comes after significant public response, with more than 5,500 comments submitted and notable opposition from local leaders and officials across party lines.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel released a statement expressing concern over the process used by the MPSC. “After receiving more than 5,500 public comments, overwhelming opposition from community leaders, and bipartisan calls from public officials urging the Commission to slow down, I am extremely disappointed in the MPSC’s decision to fast-track DTE’s secret application to service this massive data center without holding a contested case hearing. While I am relieved that the Commission at least purports to have placed some conditions on DTE’s application, without being able to see the full, unredacted contract, and study the predicate conditions and enforcement mechanisms set by the Commission, it is impossible to verify any of these claims today. As Michigan’s chief consumer advocate, my office is reviewing the Commission’s order and considering what next steps we may be able to take to protect our residents.”
Nessel also raised concerns about transparency regarding key contract terms: “This secret contract still leaves Michiganders scrounging for hidden and vital details that could harm ratepayers should these AI corporations leave, move out of state, or simply go bankrupt. None of the conditions proposed by the Commission will bring these terms into public view, including what exit fee provisions might be in effect before December 2027.”
She criticized the approval process for lacking openness: “Rushing approval through an ex parte process lets DTE brush past important questions and shields the utility from the transparency the public deserves, and review by essential consumer protection organizations and offices such as mine, which I take personally as an elected official charged with protecting the consumers of this state.”
Nessel concluded her statement emphasizing accountability: “Our regulatory system only works if the process is done properly and transparently. When the utilities and MPSC cut corners, Michigan ratepayers are left unprotected. While this decision to forego a contested case is a major setback for consumer protection watchdogs, and a detriment to the public’s trust in their appointed government regulators, my office will continue to stand with ratepayers, demand transparency from utilities, and push for a regulatory process that puts Michiganders, not corporations, first.”
