The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has approved a $242.4 million annual rate increase for DTE Electric customers. This decision allows DTE to collect additional revenue from its ratepayers, although the approved amount is 58% less than the company’s original request of $574 million. The reduction in the requested increase was influenced by advocacy from Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel.
DTE had initially proposed an 11% increase in residential electricity rates. In response, Attorney General Nessel submitted testimony recommending that the MPSC limit the hike to 2.5% for households and reduce DTE’s overall request by nearly 75%.
“As we experience a never-ending cycle of rate hikes, Michigan families are left wondering when enough will finally be enough,” said Attorney General Nessel. “Year after year, they are asked to dig deeper into their pockets to cover their utility bills, and while my office has been an unwavering advocate for consumers, at a certain point we must ask whether this system is truly serving the people it was designed to protect. Reliability and affordability should be a priority, yet time and again we see proposals from DTE and Consumers Energy that emphasize costly capital projects over commonsense investments that more directly reduce outages and improve services. All while DTE is projecting record profits, even as the utility asks customers to pay more. Michiganders deserve accountability and results from their ballooning utility bills, and I will continue to advocate for the ratepayers of this state ahead of our utility corporations’ profits and shareholder dividends.”
This latest approval follows last year’s $217 million electric rate hike for DTE customers, which was granted three months before DTE sought this new increase. Since 2020, more than $1 billion in annual revenue increases have been approved for DTE by the MPSC.
Attorney General Nessel has stated that her office’s interventions in utility cases before the MPSC have saved Michigan consumers over $4 billion since she took office. Other ongoing cases before the commission include new requests from both DTE and Consumers Energy regarding natural gas and electricity rates.
DTE provides electricity to about 2.3 million customers in Southeast Michigan and supplies natural gas to 1.3 million customers across the state.
The Michigan Department of Attorney General focuses on serving residents through public service initiatives such as actions against human trafficking and support for vulnerable populations, according to its official website. Dana Nessel serves as Michigan’s 54th attorney general with statewide authority to safeguard residents throughout Michigan.
