Ricky Junquera, Ricky.Junquera@sierraclub.org, (617) 599-7048
LIVONIA, MI - Last night, DTE Energy held the second (of two) open houses for its integrated resource plan (IRP), a document which outlines the utility’s future plans and will have significant impacts on customers. A group of twenty ratepayers, concerned citizens, and stakeholders gathered to deliver comments from their members which expressed concerns about the engagement process.
“An open house should be a chance for the public to digest, understand, and offer feedback. Unfortunately, DTE Energy has chosen to hold both open houses outside of Detroit in a location that is not accessible by public transportation, offered little public outreach, and made getting even basic information a challenge,” said Andrew Sarpolis of the Sierra Club.
“I found it to be a hassle to get basic information about the open house,” says DTE customer Chuck Altman. “I had to call DTE Energy, though I was able to get a room number and building after that.”
In 2016, the Michigan legislature added a requirement for electric utilities to file IRPs. The plans must provide 5-year, 10-year, and 15-year projections of electricity demands and plans to provide reliable electrical generation, eliminate energy waste, and to meet reliability and environmental regulations.
“I was disappointed,” said Jackson Koppel of Soulardarity, a nonprofit advocating for energy democracy. “We help a lot of low-income ratepayers in Highland Park and Detroit. The process has not been inclusive of, or accessible to, these constituencies, despite the real impact of higher prices and pollution on their communities.”
The Michigan Public Service Commission recommended that each utility hold a minimum of two stakeholder engagement sessions prior to filing their plans. According to DTE Energy’s timeline, it plans to file the draft to the Michigan Public Service Commission in March 2019.
“The utilities will be required to provide an analysis of options to serve future electric needs, including distributed generation,” said Nicholas Leonard, Interim Executive Director with the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center. “Such large decisions will impact environmental quality, electrical rates, and the climate for generations.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.