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Commentary: To construct vitality resilience in Michigan, we should problem DTE

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Commentary: To construct vitality resilience in Michigan, we should problem DTE


The following commentary was written by Matt Sehrsweeney and Ember McCoy. Sehrsweeney is a grasp’s pupil in environmental coverage on the University of Michigan and an organizer with the Climate Action Movement; McCoy is a Ph.D. pupil in environmental justice on the University of Michigan and an organizer with Ann Arbor for Public Power and the Climate Action Movement. See our commentary pointers for extra info.


The tides are shifting in Michigan. Last month, after years of intense stress from pupil organizers, the University of Michigan made a seismic announcement: It is divesting its $14.2 billion endowment from the fossil gas business.

U-M needs to be seen as a bellwether for the state, indicating that within the coronary heart of the nation, a drastic shift away from fossil fuels is not only urgently essential, however imminent. But there’s one other main barrier standing in the way in which of this transition: the utility that serves U-M and far of the state, DTE Energy.

While DTE postures as an vital ally in a swift transition to carbon neutrality, the information paint a starkly completely different image. With 58% of its electrical energy generated by coal, DTE is one of many dirtiest utilities within the nation. The utility throws its political weight behind laws that consolidates its energy and hinders distributed technology. And with absurd charge hikes and notoriously unreliable service, DTE undermines native resilience.

If Michigan desires something resembling a resilient, sustainable vitality future, we should seize energy from monopolistic utilities and put it into the palms of Michiganders.

DTE touts its plan to attain “net zero” carbon emissions by 2050, however the credibility of this dedication collapses beneath the barest scrutiny. In 2019, the utility broke floor on a $1 billion pure gasoline plant, regardless of widespread opposition and concrete proof that investing in renewables as an alternative would save ratepayers $340 million whereas preserving our air and water clear.

This determination to make what looks as if a significant monetary blunder might need one thing to do with the utility’s booming enterprise in pure gasoline transportation infrastructure: DTE now has possession in eight pure gasoline pipelines throughout the U.S. and Canada, which introduced in $275 million for the corporate in 2018. Investments within the continued technology of pure gasoline appears loads higher whenever you even have a eager curiosity in its continued transport.

Not solely is DTE deeply invested in fossil subject technology; over the previous few a long time, it has actively undermined efforts to construct vitality independence by way of distributed vitality. It buys political affect from each events — almost $800,000 in 2020 — and lobbies intensely in opposition to insurance policies that might erode its energy, together with web metering, the growth of microgrids, and group photo voltaic. DTE continues to falsely declare that Michiganders putting in their very own photo voltaic considerably raises different ratepayers’ prices, regardless of its personal and others’ research refuting this.

These lies and lobbying have paid off in spades: A 2008 legislation capped distributed vitality at 1% of in-state peak load for every utility, successfully incapacitating any efforts to develop rooftop and group photo voltaic. And DTE’s techniques for manipulating native politics are much more insidious than marketing campaign donations — making use of Exxon’s playbook to an area context, DTE intentionally pollutes public discourse by criticizing its detractors and astroturfing group help.

By prioritizing revenue and reliance on fossil fuels, DTE additionally fails spectacularly in its principal obligation: offering cost-effective and dependable energy. Michigan’s energy restoration time after outages is the second worst within the nation and DTE’s common time to revive energy after a “major event” exceeds all different utilities statewide. Meanwhile, its common residential electrical charge is 19% increased than the US common, and not too long ago, its annual charge hikes — 9% from 2019 to 2020 — are among the many highest within the nation.

This company habits additionally poses a grave menace to native resilience. As we noticed in Texas in February, the implications of a utility’s unpreparedness for climate-related disasters will be devastating. If DTE fails to commit strong sources to adequately preserve its infrastructure, the utility’s incompetence will possible show lethal.

When a utility shows this diploma of negligence in its obligation to supply prospects with dependable and reasonably priced service, and this diploma of antagonism towards insurance policies selling clear vitality, it makes its place very clear: It is an enemy to a resilient vitality future. And such unhealthy actors don’t reply to negotiation, they reply to intense stress.

This stress should come from all instructions. The state legislature should take away the 1% cap on distributed technology, legalize community selection aggregation, and act decisively to go laws supportive of vitality democracy and resilience (i.e., the Energy Freedom payments). State universities want to make use of their leverage to demand that DTE shift rapidly towards renewables, as an alternative of inviting a consultant to take a seat on their carbon neutrality fee, as U-M did. And cities have to display that if DTE fails to vary its methods rapidly, they’re keen to chop ties fully, and municipalize their vitality infrastructure.

For a long time, group organizers have borne the burden of this battle. Work For Me, DTE!, a joint marketing campaign pushed by the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, and a coalition of Detroit-area vitality justice-focused organizations, has focused the Michigan Public Services Commission to demand that regulators crack down on DTE’s wildly insufficient service and exorbitant charges. And in Ann Arbor, the nascent Ann Arbor for Public Power marketing campaign is pushing town to chop ties with DTE fully and municipalize.

Across the state, over 40 municipal vitality utilities — the bulk in areas extra rural and pink than Ann Arbor — are exercising their proper to community-controlled electrical energy. These public energy utilities are offering their residents extra dependable and reasonably priced electrical energy, whereas additionally giving them a direct voice in utility selections. Chelsea Township’s municipal utility, for instance, boasts utility charges which can be an astounding 55% decrease than DTE’s charges in neighboring Ann Arbor. Nationwide, public energy utilities additionally minimize carbon dioxide emissions 33% over 12 years, outpacing the emissions reductions seen throughout all electrical technology within the U.S, including DTE.

Affordable, dependable, clear, and democratic vitality is feasible throughout the nation and proper right here in Michigan — however provided that the ability of profit-driven, predatory utilities is challenged.

While U-M’s divestment indicators an vital shift within the state, the battle for clear vitality should now be waged proper right here at house: It is time to chop by way of DTE’s greenwashing, and push for community-centered, domestically ruled vitality options. The way forward for a resilient Michigan will depend on it.



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