DTE Energy donates to nearly every Michigan lawmaker as it seeks rate hike

(Detroit Metro Times) As DTE Energy pushes for an 8.8% rate hike, the utility giant and it executives and lobbyists have donated to the campaigns of nearly every state legislator in Michigan.

Of the state’s 148 senators and representatives, 138 have received campaign contributions tied to DTE Energy, totaling more than $1 million, according to the Energy and Policy Institute, a fossil fuel industry watchdog group.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also received $235,900 from DTE Energy and its executives and lobbyists, dating back to when she was a state lawmaker. In a July fundraising blitz, Whitmer received nearly $40,000 from DTE executives.

....(snip)....

The donations come at a time when environmental justice activists, consumer groups, and clean energy advocates are calling out DTE Energy for its high rates, chronic power outages, and reliance on fossil fuels.

State Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor, has called for a ban on political donations from regulated utilities like DTE Energy. Rahbi returned a total of $400 in donations from DTE’s political action committee in 2017 and 2019 and hasn’t received any contributions since. ................(more)

https://www.metrotimes.com/news/dte-energy-donates-to-nearly-every-michigan-lawmaker-as-it-seeks-rate-hike-31303175