Dear Senator:

I am writing to express my concern regarding DTE Energy's failure to deliver on its responsibility to provide reliable and affordable energy to its customers. The recent power outages resulting from ice storms across the state left over 600,000 DTE customers without power, and many residents in Southern Michigan without electricity for consecutive days. Then one week later, a snowstorm left 200,000 DTE customers without power, some of whom had only regained power for a day or two before this second outage.

Yet, in the face of widespread power outages affecting DTE customers across the utility’s service area, DTE is proposing record-breaking rate increases that threaten to raise energy bills for customers, many of whom are already struggling to make ends meet as the cost-of-living crisis continues to grow.

As your constituent, I urge you to hold hearings in the Senate and House energy committees to discuss rapid response for residents in need of relief and to evaluate solutions to better meet the needs of Michiganders, not the utility's bottom line. We cannot let DTE Energy continue to prioritize profits over the well-being of Michiganders.

Furthermore, I urge you to require utility companies to compensate or refund customers more fairly for the harm caused by power outages and negligence on the part of the utility company. DTE Energy's failures have resulted in significant harm to the people of Michigan, and the company must be held accountable.

We need to ensure that our energy providers are providing reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy to Michiganders. It's clear that this recent extreme weather will not be the last time that the reliability of our electric grid is tested, and the need for solutions that prioritize Michigan’s wallets, health, and climate has never been greater. I urge you to take swift action to hold DTE Energy accountable and to protect the well-being of Michiganders.

Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.