AG Nessel Intervenes in DTE’s Requested Gas Rate Increase

LANSING – Today, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel intervened in DTE’s recently filed gas rate case as an advocate for DTE’s natural gas customers across the state.

In the case, docket number U-21291 before the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), DTE requests a $266 million annual increase in gas rates, a nearly 10% increase for residential customers. The Attorney General, along with her expert witnesses, will carefully examine DTE’s request and will argue against any increases in costs that are not reasonable and tailored to provide benefits to DTE’s customers.

“We will approach DTE’s latest gas rate increase request as we have every one that has come before it, and work to ensure that natural gas costs are affordable for our state’s utility customers,” said Nessel. “This is yet another in a continuing string of multi-hundred-million-dollar cases brought by the company. My team and its experts will carefully examine DTE’s requested increases and strongly object to any that are unreasonable or are more aligned to shareholder benefits than ensuring ratepayers can keep their homes warm all winter. I remain concerned about the clear pattern of repeated rate increases that come before the Commission, one right after the last.”

The Attorney General’s intervention in DTE Gas’s last rate case, U-20940, helped save customers more than $110 million. Since taking office, the Attorney General has helped save Michigan consumers more than $2 billion by intervening in utility cases before the MPSC. Tuesday’s intervention reaffirms her commitment to affordable energy for customers.

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