Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

A pre-hearing is scheduled Tuesday, June 3 regarding DTE Energy's latest request to raise rates. The utility in April filed a request with the Michigan Public Service Commission seeking a rate hike of approximately $574 million annually, an 11% increase for residential customers.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel already announced her office will intervene.

"Just three months after the MPSC approved a $217 million rate hike, DTE is already back, asking for nearly $600 million more from ratepayers still very dissatisfied with the quality of service they receive," Nessel said.

"At some point, we have to ask how long utility companies like DTE and Consumers Energy will be allowed to treat customer bills and our energy rates like a blank check. My office will carefully scrutinize this rate hike request, just like we have with every other one, to ensure DTE isn’t padding our bills with bloated or unjustified expenses that do nothing to improve reliability and only serve to fatten the wallets of their executives and shareholders."

Tuesday's pre-hearing will be held via video/teleconference at 9 am. Anyone interested in participating should contact Judge Lesley Fairrow's secretary at (517) 284-8130 or by email at LARA-MOAHR-PSC-@michigan.gov in advance of the hearing.

You may call or write DTE Electric Company 1 Energy Plaza, Detroit at (800) 477-4747 for a free copy of its application. Anyone may review the documents at the offices of DTE Electric or on the PSC's website linked below.

DTE issued a statement saying it is "making progress on building the electric grid of the future. Thanks to a combination of factors including strategic work and investment in the electric grid last year, our customers experienced a nearly 70% improvement in time spent without power in 2024 compared to 2023. We must continue to invest to deliver the cleaner and more reliable energy our customers demand and deserve."

"Our recent investment request filed with the Michigan Public Service Commission further supports our ongoing work to improve electric reliability and system resiliency in the face of extreme weather and to generate cleaner energy – all while keeping customer bills as low as possible and below the national average."