- In April 2010, DTE Energy shut off Leslie Robinson’s gas and electricity, prompting her to use a Coleman stove for warmth and cooking.
- A recent ‘DTE & Me’ event highlighted the emotional impacts of power shutoffs and promoted community-owned power.
- Speakers shared feelings of hopelessness and shame but felt empowered by collective support and discussions on accountability.
In April 2010, DTE Energy shut off Leslie Robinson’s gas and electricity. With the temperatures still in the 40s and 50s, her large, multi-generational home in Highland Park had one thermostat to control the heat for all uninsulated rooms.
“I figured, okay, I’ve had winter camping experience. I’m just gonna deal with this,” Robinson told a group of around 50 last Saturday at a ‘DTE & Me’ event to showcase the emotional impacts of power shut-offs held at 27th Letter Books.
The event, hosted by the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition [MEJC], Soulardarity, and Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action, included 10 panelists who shared their stories of having their power shut off by DTE through storytelling, music, and film. Xandr Brown, event host and communications associate with MEJC said the event aimed to provide a “collective imagining of community-owned power.”
Robinson moved back to Highland Park from Canada in the early 2000s to care for her mother. She struggled to keep up with loan fees, credit card insurance, and utility bills. Though she had previously received utility assistance, she was no longer eligible, and she had to get creative to stay warm and cook food.
Robinson held up an old two-burner Coleman stove. “Remember these?” she asked, describing how she heated water for bathing and cooking and how she kept the house warm, careful to keep a window cracked when using propane.
According to public data reported by utilities to the Michigan Public Service Commission, DTE Energy sent 37,231 disconnection notices to customers in June. Of those, 14,518 were sent to low-income or senior customers. DTE serves 2.3 million customers across the region.
Evette Griffie, a vice president of customer and community engagement for DTE Energy, told Planet Detroit that customers should contact DTE Energy as soon as they think they may not be able to pay an upcoming bill.
“Last year, we worked closely with local and state agencies to connect customers to nearly $160 million in energy assistance,” Griffie said. “We are also actively working with lawmakers to advocate for legislation that would increase funding for energy assistance, opening the doors of support to additional Michiganders in need.”
In May of 2012, Robinson got a job paying $30 an hour. But she was behind on her credit card and DTE Energy bill. Then, in June, she suffered a stroke. It was a surprise to her doctors, as she was in good health. The following year, on Valentine’s Day, “my heart broke,” she said. Robinson had a heart attack.
“Again, no high blood pressure. Nothing that they could find to say why these problems were being caused,” Robinson said.
Saturday was the first time Robinson has spoken out about her experiences with DTE Energy shutoffs.
“It was humiliating. I felt guilty and ashamed…I blocked it,” Robinson said. “And it wasn’t until I started pulling up this old stuff today…I realized none of that was my fault. Those health issues were because of the stress I had been going through for so long by myself.”
Brown said the event aimed to help people like Robinson overcome that feeling.
“It’s important to gather because it gets rid of that shame. This issue necessitates a more direct, in-the-room communication,” Brown said. “It always started with a group of people, in a room, talking about what they want to do, what they want to change, what’s not right, and then it just explodes from there.”
Now, Robinson said she has nothing to lose, and others have something to gain. She said she felt “empowered” by young attendees thanking her after the event.
One of them was Jada Robinson, health equity director for Michigan Clinicians For Climate Action. Growing up in Southwest, Robinson said that her mother did not ask for support from federal programs, even though they qualified for the assistance.
“She felt ashamed. Community members are so used to it being their fault, or the blame being placed on them, instead of people in leadership or in power actually being held accountable,” Robinson said.
Another Highland Park speaker, Michelle Jones, said the power shut-offs make people feel hopeless.
“When you put people in the dark physically, it starts to get dark in their minds,” Jones said. “They start to feel like no one else cares.”
It’s hard hearing these stories, Jada Robinson added, but she left the event feeling hopeful.
“It was so wonderful seeing that if people can come together for this within a few months, imagine what we can do in a year,” Robinson said. “Or when I have children…imagine where this can actually go.”
Liz Jacob, energy insecurity coordinator at the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice and an organizer for the Dismantle DTE campaign, said the movement is focused on building power among communities of color and low-income communities, which are most impacted by DTE Energy.
“We want to push back against this idea that the only way we can get our energy is through investor-owned utilities,” Jacob said, adding, “Something that I’ve heard from a lot of folks is that they didn’t realize they had rights. That’s actually not the case.”
In the past eight months, the campaign has welcomed 250 Detroiters into their utility ratepayer clinics to understand and enforce their rights regarding affordability, shutoffs, and outages, Jacob said. Over 40 active volunteers support these efforts.
“They want to keep connecting with neighbors over this issue. They want to imagine what a different energy system could look like, and they want to build it together,” Jacob said.
Potential models under study include Rural Electric Co Ops, where every consumer is a member owner of an energy system. Or, systems like municipal public power in Lansing and the one being studied in Ann Arbor where the city or municipality is running the energy system, Jacob said.
“We’re trying to figure out, what are people who are most impacted by the harms of the current system excited about? What do they imagine? What do they see?” Jacob said.
Their next meeting is August 7 at 6 PM at the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalitions Offices at 2701 Bagley Street. To get connected to ratepayer clinics, workshops on understanding your rights, and other mutual aid, sign up at the Dismantle DTE Campaign Interest Form.
“I strongly feel, and will do all I can, to support a community operated energy consortium, whatever that looks like,” Robinson said. “It might not happen while I can use it, but it needs to happen for our people.”
If a resident has an active shut off notice, calling 2-1-1 will connect them to updated resources, if funding is currently available. Jacob added, the next best option is to enroll in DTE’s Shut-Off Protection Program if a resident is eligible, or negotiate a payment agreement with DTE by calling 800-477-4747.
Read more on Planet Detroit’s reporting on DTE here, including our guide on How to survive a DTE power outage in Metro Detroit.