The Metro: Michiganders face power struggle over rising utility bills
Power lines across the state are part of an aging grid contributing to rising costs and climate challenges.
As the temperature has climbed this summer, so have energy bills—and frustrations. These higher costs are driven by more than extreme summer temperatures. Factors like outdated power grids and a recent $217 million rate hike approved for DTE Energy by state regulators earlier this year are also at play.
Meanwhile, federal clean-energy incentives that once encouraged investment in renewable energy are starting to phase out. Michigan was on track to increase its renewable energy capacity by 2035. But with key federal tax credits repealed by the Trump administration, the state faces higher future costs and delayed renewable projects.
At the same time, utility shutoffs in Michigan and nationwide have increased, hitting lower-income and marginalized communities hard.
Nicholas Schroeck, dean of the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, and an expert in environmental law and justice, joined The Metro’s Robyn Vincent to discuss energy affordability and sustainability and what residents can do about it.
Editor’s Note: DTE Energy and Consumers Energy are financial supporters of WDET.
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