DTE Energy Detroit filed an electric rate increase on March 28 with the Michigan Public Service Commission, just four months after the MPSC approved a $368.1 million electricity rate increase for DTE in December. If this increase is approved, there would be about a $11 increase in the average monthly residential bill on top of the increase passed late last year. DTE has stated that these funds are necessary to improve reliability. Since there is a 10-month process during which stakeholders provide feedback, this increase would not go into effect until January 2025.
This rate increase is going towards making the grid "smarter." It will install devices that can more accurately and quickly pinpoint locations of power outages, potentially reducing outages by 30% and cutting outage time in half over the next 5 years.
The president and COO of DTE Electric, Matt Paul, said this will be incredibly important for them to be able to improve reliability in the state. Paul stated that “we have a vast system” that is “aging, and the weather is getting worse, and we have a lot of work to do to upgrade it.” By pinpointing where the power outages are, it will allow crews to get to the outages faster. The device will also allow DTE to re-route power when there is an outage, making the grid safer. If approved, it would also support DTE’s plan to rebuild the oldest parts of their grid.
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Read the full article on the DTE energy increase at the link below for more information.
