After ice storms left large areas of Michigan residents without power last week, state Attorney General Dana Nessel is calling on DTE Energy and Consumers Energy to issue credits for residents affected. Nessel says with an ice storm that was possibly one of the worst Michigan has seen in years, residents deserve a grid they can rely on. She says despite repeated requests, “utilities have failed to adequately invest in their own infrastructure or prepare for these storm events, choosing instead to leave ratepayers in the dark.” Nessel calls the service quality standards “not sufficient,” adding the power companies need to “right this wrong.” She notes a 2022 order from the Michigan Public Service Commission called for an “independent review of the adequacy of the electric distribution system operated by Consumers Energy and DTE Electric. She says consumers should get automatic credits for power outages.
