AG Nessel to Intervene in DTE’s Latest $237 Million Natural Gas Rate Hike Request

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has announced her intent to intervene in DTE’s latest request to hike natural gas rates by $237 million annually, which was filed yesterday before the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). If approved as requested, the rate hike would amount to an overall 10% increase for DTE gas customers, including at least an 8% hike for residential customers. This request follows last year’s natural gas rate hike of $113 million, less than half of what DTE initially sought after Attorney General Nessel intervened to protect Michigan ratepayers. 

Attorney General Nessel plans to intervene in this rate case as she does in all major utility rate cases before the MPSC. The Department of Attorney General’s staff, along with its experts, will carefully scrutinize the filing to ensure customers do not pay any costs that do not have commensurate quantifiable benefits.  

“If recent history tells us anything, it’s that this new rate hike request will be filled with costs that simply cannot be justified,” Nessel said. “Time and again, we’ve seen DTE try to pass on to its customers millions of dollars in unnecessary expenses, such as private jet travel for its executives. My office will go through this proposal with a fine-tooth comb to make sure every dollar DTE wants to collect from ratepayers is tied to a clear and measurable benefit. Michigan families should not be asked to pay more for utility services simply to pad corporate profits. While we will work tirelessly to defend DTE’s customers from the company, this latest rate hike filing is only the latest in a ceaseless march by our utility companies to consistently squeeze their customers for more and more, year after year.” 

Since taking office, the Attorney General has helped save Michigan consumers more than $4 billion by intervening in utility cases before the MPSC. Additional rate hike cases currently open before the MPSC include DTE’s latest electricity rate hike request (U-21860) and Consumers Energy’s electricity rate hike request (U-21870). Consumers Energy has also submitted a filing announcement, indicating its intent to file a natural gas rate hike in December.

DTE sells natural gas to 1.3 million customers across the state and electricity to approximately 2.2 million customers in Southeast Michigan.