Overview:
-Ann Arbor for Public Power announces ballot initiative for the November 2026 election.
-The creation of a public utility board "will put the process of dumping DTE in motion," says the group's executive director.
-DTE says it's investing $250 million in Ann Arbor infrastructure improvements over the next five years.
by KYLE DAVIDSON
Michigan Advance
A group of Ann Arbor residents are taking the first steps toward removing DTE Energy as their electrical provider and creating a public electric utility board.
On Tuesday, Ann Arbor for Public Power announced that its members are drafting a ballot proposal for the November 2026 election, asking voters to create a new public electric utility board, before taking over infrastructure from DTE Energy at a later date.
DTE Energy is one of the largest energy utilities in the state and has faced frequent criticism for high rates and unreliable electricity. According to the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan, an energy utility watchdog, DTE customers experienced an average of 1,542 minutes without power in 2023, ranking among the worst utilities in the nation for outages.
In its announcement, the group argues that shifting energy to a public power utility would be highly likely to provide more reliable, more renewable, and less costly power to Ann Arbor residents.
“The first question for voters is: do you want this? The plan is to create the board of the public utility in the 2026 election, before taking over poles and wires from DTE. Creating the board will cost the people of Ann Arbor zero dollars, and it will put the process of dumping DTE in motion,” Ann Arbor For Public Power’s Executive Director Brian Geiringer said in a statement.
After language for the effort is approved, the group will need to gather 5,000 signatures to have the matter placed on the ballot.
In an email, DTE Spokesperson Ryan Lowry said the city’s transition from DTE to a municipal utility would be a costly one, citing research that said the effort could saddle Ann Arbor with $2 billion in debt and raise rates for residents and businesses by 30% to 40%.
“DTE Energy is already committed to delivering a reliable, affordable and clean energy future for Ann Arbor. We are investing $250 million in infrastructure improvements in the city over the next five years, dramatically improving reliability,” Lowry said.
“We’re also dedicated to providing 100% of Ann Arbor’s electricity from clean energy, while continuing our focus on customer affordability, keeping energy bills below the national average.”
MORE FROM PLANET DETROIT
DTE Energy must face Zug Island pollution litigation: Federal judge
A federal judge says there is evidence demonstrating that DTE Energy exercised control over EES Coke Battery’s emissions on Zug Island.
Transfer prices and your bill: What Michigan’s clean energy law means for you
In Michigan, the Public Service Commission’s deliberations on clean energy pricing and utility credits impact how quickly the state converts to renewable energy.
Group behind effort to ban DTE, Consumers political spending lays groundwork
Organizers behind proposed ballot initiative to ban political spending by Michigan utilities hold town halls to educate voters and volunteers.
However, Ann Arbor for Public Power previously pushed back on the cost analysis commissioned by DTE arguing the report’s findings are wildly inflated and that the report fails to provide evidence for why rates would increase.
With the ballot effort underway, members of the group are anticipating stronger pushback from DTE.
“A dedicated group of Ann Arborites has been working hard to expand A2P2’s capacity in the last few months. We feel it’s incredibly important that members of the public have a real voice in this process; that’s the only way to win. We are ready for this moment and call on everyone who is interested to join the fight,” Geiringer said.
This story was updated with comment from DTE.
Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jon King for questions: info@michiganadvance.com.