|
LANSING — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reaffirming her commitment to stand up for Michigan utility customers in announcing she will intervene in the latest DTE rate hike case brought before the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). Today, DTE filed an application seeking permission to raise electric rates by approximately $474.3 million annually, a 9.7% increase for residential customers. The rate hike request comes just two months after the utility received approval for a $242.4 million increase.
“Whether it’s massive half-a-billion-dollar rate hike requests or secret data center contracts, DTE continues to treat Michigan families like an open checkbook to satisfy its shareholders,” said Attorney General Nessel. “As my office scrutinizes this latest filing, I expect to find the same brand of corporate greed we’ve seen every time before, from private jet travel to unsupported costs that do nothing to improve reliability or affordability for Michigan households struggling to keep the lights on. We will expose every outlandish cent and demand the MPSC prioritize utility customers over utility corporations.”
Last week, DTE issued a vague and unclear statement purporting the company might abstain from an anticipated 2027 electric rate hike pending approval of this current rate hike, if the controversial Saline Township OpenAI data center comes online with no delay, and if they receive some other, unnamed future regulatory approvals related to data center projects within their service territory. Attorney General Nessel issued the following statement last week in response:
“The good news for DTE’s customers is that DTE is finally reckoning with the anger and exasperation of Michigan households pushed to the brink by DTE and Consumers Energy’s incessant rate hikes.
“I think every business and household would welcome a break from their constant and ever-growing rate hikes, but DTE only offers to skip their next rate hike after approval of their current rate hike case, their largest this decade. DTE only offers a break in rate hikes if they win some other, unnamed data center approvals, and their Saline data center comes online with no delay. This isn’t a commitment, it’s a ransom note.
“DTE cites ‘affordability benefits’ associated with their secret data center contracts that have never been proven, or even reviewed by consumer advocates. Far from surrendering further review of their data center filings with the State, my office is now before the Michigan Court of Appeals fighting to even read DTE’s Saline data center contracts. My office will scrutinize their every rate hike and data center proposal as thoroughly as we always do and testify in support of protecting Michigan ratepayers. I expect the MPSC to conduct their duties thoroughly and by public, transparent processes in accordance with the law, and we’ll pursue every avenue necessary to hold the utilities, and regulators, accountable to the people of Michigan.”
DTE sells electricity to approximately 2.3 million customers in Southeast Michigan and natural gas to 1.3 million customers across the state.
The Attorney General has saved Michigan consumers more than $4.1 billion by intervening in utility cases before the MPSC. Recent rate hike requests from DTE and Consumers Energy have included such inappropriate costs as private jet travel for executive staff, millions in executive incentive compensation tied to maximizing shareholder returns, and other unsupported expenditures that could not be demonstrated to be reasonable or prudent. Other rate hike cases currently open before the MPSC include DTE’s natural gas rate hike request (U-21973), SEMCO Energy Gas Company’s natural gas rate hike request (U-22002), and Upper Peninsula Power Company’s electric rate hike request (U-22032). Consumers Energy has also submitted a filing announcement, announcing its intent to file an electric rate hike request later this year.
###
|
