DTE Electric Company
[3] North American Company was broken up by the Securities and Exchange Commission, following the United States Supreme Court decision of April 1, 1946.
[6] The Greenwood Energy Center near Avoca, Michigan serves as a peaking power plant for the utility, generating over 815mW when at full capacity.
[7] In 2018, the Michigan Public Service Commission approved Blue Water Energy Center, a natural gas combined-cycle plan.
Since April 2021, DTE Electric operates 18 wind and 31 solar parks, totaling 1,760 megawatts of clean energy, powering 670,000 homes.
Detroit Edison's near 11-gigawatt generating capacity is offered to its 7,600-square-mile (20,000 km2) service area, which encompasses 13 counties in the southeastern portion of the lower peninsula.
Energy is distributed via one million utility poles and 44,000 miles (71,000 km) of power lines in these Michigan counties: Huron, Tuscola, Sanilac, Saint Clair, Lapeer, Livingston, Ingham, Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw, Lenawee, and Monroe.
The facility, which produces metallurgical coke for steelmaking, has been a source of significant environmental and public health concerns in the downriver Detroit area.
In 2018, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) issued violations for exceeding permitted emission limits.
[14] However, environmental groups and community advocates continue to call for the facility's closure, arguing that the planned improvements are insufficient to protect public health.
By the late 1980s or early 1990, Detroit Edison discontinued use of their equipment, as Conrail began to supply enough locomotives and rolling stock to meet the power company's needs.
The company's political giving has particularly focused on legislative leadership and members of energy-related committees who have significant influence over utility policy.
[18]In 2019, an investigation by the Detroit News revealed that the company had channeled over $800,000 through nonprofit social welfare organizations to support specific ballot initiatives without direct disclosure.
Michigan Energy First, run by DTE executives, contributed: Protect Our Values, another DTE-connected group, emerged to support favored candidates in primary elections.
A 2023 report by the Michigan Consumer Protection Alliance suggested a correlation between the company's political contributions to state legislators and favorable outcomes in rate case decisions.
[23] Environmental justice advocates note the company's support for politicians opposing expanded voting access in communities of color contrasts with its public equity commitments[24] In 2021, campaign finance watchdogs criticized DTE Energy's practice of making contributions to politicians who questioned the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The company temporarily suspended some political contributions following the January 6 Capitol riot but resumed them later that year, drawing criticism from governance experts.
The company consistently ranks below average among U.S. utilities for grid reliability metrics, including both the frequency and duration of power outages.
In 2021, following widespread outages that affected over 500,000 customers, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) launched an investigation into DTE's infrastructure maintenance and reliability programs.
[32] Consumer advocacy groups have argued that the company's reliability issues disproportionately affect low-income communities and elderly residents.
In 2023, DTE was ordered to pay $25 million in customer credits following extended outages, and the commission mandated a comprehensive infrastructure improvement plan.
The plan includes: However, critics have questioned whether the improvements will adequately address systemic reliability issues, particularly as climate change increases the frequency of severe weather events.
[34] In August 2023, severe storms led to what became DTE's second-largest outage event in company history, with more than 775,000 customers losing power.
[37] During a June 2021 heat wave, equipment failures at multiple substations led to rolling blackouts affecting 265,000 customers in the Metro Detroit area.
