DTE Energy cut off power to more than 128,800 customers in the first 10 months of 2022, the third highest number of shutoffs among electric companies nationwide, according to a new report by Energy and Policy Institute (EPI), a fossil fuel industry watchdog group.
That’s a 16% increase over shutoffs in the first 10 months of 2021.
Between January 2020 and October 2022, DTE shut off power to 377,492 customers.
During the same period, Michigan’s largest utility spent $2.1 billion paying dividends to shareholders. That’s 52 times higher than the amount of money it would have cost to forgive the customer debt, according to EPI.
EPI calls DTE “one of the most aggressively anti-consumer” utility companies in the country.
Electric and gas bills are on the rise because of the escalating cost of energy.
In November, the Michigan Public Service Commission approved a $30.5 million electric rate increase for DTE Electric, which is owned by DTE Energy. The increase was less than 10% of the utility’s request.
The human toll of the shutoffs is substantial.
“Access to electricity is a basic human right,” EPI said in its report. “People rely on electricity for water, physical safety, food security, medical care and telecommunications. When these essentials are taken away, the harm spreads like ripples across a pond. Disconnections foster instability: Without power, people struggle to maintain employment, keep their kids in school, and even stay alive. This is doubly true for the largely...
Lauren Hashian shut down rumors about welcoming another baby with Dwayne Johnson on Sunday, April 27, 2026. Viral AI-generated photos sparked speculation that the couple had expanded their family....