Does DTE’s Energy Plan “Make the Grade?”
Are you one of the 2.2 million who receive power from DTE Energy? Do you care about where your energy comes from?
DTE has proposed a plan that will affect Michigan for generations to come. But will DTE’s plan provide the clean, equitable, and affordable energy you deserve?
Read this “report card” to understand how DTE’s plan will directly impact you and whether they passed or failed. Share your thoughts directly with DTE on Facebook and Twitter.
Does DTE’s Energy Plan “Make the Grade?”
Are you one of the 2.2 million who receive power from DTE Energy? Do you care about where your energy comes from?
DTE has proposed a plan that will affect Michigan for generations to come. But will DTE’s plan provide the clean, equitable, and affordable energy you deserve?
Read this “report card” to understand how DTE’s plan will directly impact you and whether they passed or failed. Share your thoughts directly with DTE on Facebook and Twitter.
DTE Receives Failing Grades
DTE Energy has released their 15-year energy plan for Michigan. A broad coalition of clean energy, environmental justice, and consumer advocacy organizations scored DTE Energy’s proposed plan and determined that it doesn’t make the grade. Explore the full report card below.
In December, a federal judge found DTE Energy’s proposed resource plan to be woefully inadequate, recommending that DTE be required to file a new proposal. Problems with DTE’s plan ranged from inadequate retirement analysis for coal plants to incomplete assessment of solar and battery resources. Now, the state Public Utilities Commission will use the judge’s thorough analysis to make their final determination.
Tell Michigan’s energy regulators: Send DTE back to the drawing board!
Spread the word!
Share DTE’s failing grades with your networks:
Ensuring Equitable Access to Clean Energy Benefits
- Providing access to renewable and energy efficiency programs for low-and moderate-income customers so that they are able to fully capture the benefits of clean energy, including bill savings, health benefits, and job opportunities
- Taking additional steps to ensure equitable access to the clean energy future in light of the disproportionate impacts of DTE’s aging electrical infrastructure and energy burden on low-income customers
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE’s emphasis on voluntary renewable energy programs makes them more costly and less accessible. DTE also constrains the use of energy efficiency in their plan. Less energy efficiency funding means less energy efficiency benefits for low-income customers who face a higher energy burden. These benefits include lower energy bills, preservation of affordable housing, and healthier homes.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
GRADE:
F
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For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
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Ensuring Equitable Access to Clean Energy Benefits
- Providing access to renewable and energy efficiency programs for low-and moderate-income customers so that they are able to fully capture the benefits of clean energy, including bill savings, health benefits, and job opportunities
- Taking additional steps to ensure equitable access to the clean energy future in light of the disproportionate impacts of DTE’s aging electrical infrastructure and energy burden on low-income customers
GRADE:
F
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE’s emphasis on voluntary renewable energy programs makes them more costly and less accessible. DTE also constrains the use of energy efficiency in their plan. Less energy efficiency funding means less energy efficiency benefits for low-income customers who face a higher energy burden. These benefits include lower energy bills, preservation of affordable housing, and healthier homes.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Ensuring Affordable Energy for All Customers
- Maximizing the most affordable resources to meet DTE customers’ needs
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE’s proposed plan prioritizes their shareholders over their customers. By constraining energy efficiency and renewables and favoring gas and coal, they guarantee that their plan is not as affordable as it could be. Additionally, they did not choose their own modeling’s least cost plans.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
GRADE:
D-
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For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
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Ensuring Affordable Energy for All Customers
- Maximizing the most affordable resources to meet DTE customers’ needs
GRADE:
D-
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE’s proposed plan prioritizes their shareholders over their customers. By constraining energy efficiency and renewables and favoring gas and coal, they guarantee that their plan is not as affordable as it could be. Additionally, they did not choose their own modeling’s least cost plans.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Building Community Power and Developing Local Workforce
- Supporting clean energy opportunities within communities, including rooftop solar and neighborhood-owned power generation
- Developing plans to ensure economic development opportunities in communities, particularly where fossil fuel power plants are retiring
- Gathering and incorporating input from those communities that are most affected
Why DTE Got This Grade
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
GRADE:
D
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For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
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Building Community Power and Developing Local Workforce
- Supporting clean energy opportunities within communities, including rooftop solar and neighborhood-owned power generation
- Developing plans to ensure economic development opportunities in communities, particularly where fossil fuel power plants are retiring
- Gathering and incorporating input from those communities that are most affected
GRADE:
D
Why DTE Got This Grade
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
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For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Protecting Public Health
- Retiring dirty coal plants as soon as possible
- Maximizing investments in clean energy sources like wind and solar
- Prioritizing energy efficiency to reduce the need for new power plants thereby reducing polluting emissions
- Ensuring extensive pollutant emission data and tracking
Why DTE Got This Grade
Pollution from power plants is linked to many health conditions, such as asthma, chronic lung and heart diseases, various cancers, low birth weight, and many others. Additionally, air pollutants like those emitted from DTE’s coal units are known to exacerbate climate change. The worsening climate crisis will have negative impacts on Michigan and the health of our residents, especially our most vulnerable populations.
To combat this, DTE must be analyzing the earliest possible retirement dates. As for clean energy options, energy efficiency not only avoids pollution, but also improves indoor air quality as well.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
GRADE:
D
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share DTE's failing grades with your networks:
Protecting Public Health
- Retiring dirty coal plants as soon as possible
- Maximizing investments in clean energy sources like wind and solar
- Prioritizing energy efficiency to reduce the need for new power plants thereby reducing polluting emissions
- Ensuring extensive pollutant emission data and tracking
GRADE:
D
Why DTE Got This Grade
Pollution from power plants is linked to many health conditions, such as asthma, chronic lung and heart diseases, various cancers, low birth weight, and many others. Additionally, air pollutants like those emitted from DTE’s coal units are known to exacerbate climate change. The worsening climate crisis will have negative impacts on Michigan and the health of our residents, especially our most vulnerable populations.
To combat this, DTE must be analyzing the earliest possible retirement dates. As for clean energy options, energy efficiency not only avoids pollution, but also improves indoor air quality as well.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Prioritizing Energy Efficiency
- Properly valuing energy efficiency benefits
- Capturing all cost-effective energy efficiency
- Enabling robust low-income programs
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE undervalues the benefits and overestimates the costs of energy efficiency throughout their plan. The result is an inaccurate conclusion of what level of efficiency they should be pursuing.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
GRADE:
C+
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share DTE's failing grades with your networks:
Prioritizing Energy Efficiency
- Properly valuing energy efficiency benefits
- Capturing all cost-effective energy efficiency
- Enabling robust low-income programs
GRADE:
C+
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE undervalues the benefits and overestimates the costs of energy efficiency throughout their plan. The result is an inaccurate conclusion of what level of efficiency they should be pursuing.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Building A Path Towards 100% Clean Energy
- Maximizing wind, solar, and other renewable energy technologies towards 100% clean energy as soon as possible
- Requesting proposals from third-party developers to ensure renewable energy projects are cost-competitive
- Developing community solar projects
Why DTE Got This Grade
The utility overestimated renewable energy costs. Additionally, they failed to request proposals from third-party developers that could have been more cost-effective. Finally, they proposed to develop the majority of their renewable energy through a voluntary program which asks customers to bear additional costs.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
GRADE:
D-
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share DTE's failing grades with your networks:
Building A Path Towards 100% Clean Energy
- Maximizing wind, solar, and other renewable energy technologies towards 100% clean energy as soon as possible
- Requesting proposals from third-party developers to ensure renewable energy projects are cost-competitive
- Developing community solar projects
GRADE:
D-
Why DTE Got This Grade
The utility overestimated renewable energy costs. Additionally, they failed to request proposals from third-party developers that could have been more cost-effective. Finally, they proposed to develop the majority of their renewable energy through a voluntary program which asks customers to bear additional costs.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Retiring Coal Plants
- Conducting comprehensive economic assessments of alternative, earlier retirement dates for each of their Belle River and Monroe coal units
- Analyzing health impacts of coal plant emissions
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE’s plan included cost calculation errors and a lack of sufficient analysis of earlier retirement dates, showing a clear bias toward ensuring their Belle River plant continued to operate through 2029 and 2030. Additionally, they completely ignored any analysis of their Monroe plant.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
GRADE:
C-
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share DTE's failing grades with your networks:
Retiring Coal Plants
- Conducting comprehensive economic assessments of alternative, earlier retirement dates for each of their Belle River and Monroe coal units
- Analyzing health impacts of coal plant emissions
GRADE:
C-
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE’s plan included cost calculation errors and a lack of sufficient analysis of earlier retirement dates, showing a clear bias toward ensuring their Belle River plant continued to operate through 2029 and 2030. Additionally, they completely ignored any analysis of their Monroe plant.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Avoiding Additional Fracked Gas Infrastructures
- Refraining from additional, risky, and unnecessary fracked gas energy infrastructure
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE outlines their plan for the next five years in detail, but for the following years opt for four flexible pathways. Two of those flexible pathways include 414 MW gas plants. This is on top of the 1,100 MW gas plant they are currently building.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
GRADE:
D-
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share DTE's failing grades with your networks:
Ensuring Equitable Access to Clean Energy Benefits
- Providing access to renewable and energy efficiency programs for low-and moderate-income customers so that they are able to fully capture the benefits of clean energy, including bill savings, health benefits, and job opportunities
- Taking additional steps to ensure equitable access to the clean energy future in light of the disproportionate impacts of DTE’s aging electrical infrastructure and energy burden on low-income customers
GRADE:
D-
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE outlines their plan for the next five years in detail, but for the following years opt for four flexible pathways. Two of those flexible pathways include 414 MW gas plants. This is on top of the 1,100 MW gas plant they are currently building.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Lobbying Against the Public Interest
- Spends significant money on lobbying against the wishes of their customers
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE retains multiple lobbying firms, each with a team of lobbyists, to advance DTE’s corporate interests, spending over $1.4 million in direct lobbying expenses in a single year on federal lobbying.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
GRADE:
A+
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Spread the word! Share DTE's failing grades with your networks:
Ensuring Equitable Access to Clean Energy Benefits
- Providing access to renewable and energy efficiency programs for low-and moderate-income customers so that they are able to fully capture the benefits of clean energy, including bill savings, health benefits, and job opportunities
- Taking additional steps to ensure equitable access to the clean energy future in light of the disproportionate impacts of DTE’s aging electrical infrastructure and energy burden on low-income customers
GRADE:
A+
Why DTE Got This Grade
DTE retains multiple lobbying firms, each with a team of lobbyists, to advance DTE’s corporate interests, spending over $1.4 million in direct lobbying expenses in a single year on federal lobbying.
Supporting Testimony
Read testimony submitted to the Michigan Public Service Commission:
Speak Out
For a more equitable clean energy Michigan
Endorsers
The following organizations developed this report card for DTE Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, and testified to energy regulators at the Michigan Public Service Commission to for a more equitable clean energy Michigan.
Pictured at top: Soulardarity organizes Michigan DTE Energy customers to speak out.
A broad coalition of advocates unites to power up Michigan with clean energy.
Pictured at top: Soulardarity organizes Michigan DTE Energy customers to speak out.
Report Card Graphics
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