Overview:
- DTE Energy proposes a $474.3-million rate increase that would add $9.39 monthly to residential bills, promises a two-year freeze if data center revenue materializes.
- Detroit's toxic demolition dirt crisis now includes more than 650 sites, with testing costs ballooning to $4.5 million as contaminants including lead and arsenic are found near homes.
- Michigan Lyme disease cases quadruple from 553 in 2022 to 2,167 in 2025, earning the state its first CDC high-risk designation as tick populations grow.
🗞️ DTE Energy proposes 7.6% rate increase, pledges freeze if data centers deliver DTE Energy proposed a $474.3 million, or 7.6%, electricity rate hike Thursday, which would add roughly $9.39 monthly to average residential bills starting in early 2027. In exchange, the utility pledged to pause further rate increase requests for at least two years, citing revenue expected from large Oracle and Google data centers being built in its service territory. The Michigan Public Service Commission is expected to rule within 10 months. 📌 Source: Crain’s Detroit Business
🗞️ 3 blocks of Detroit Riverwalk reopen in time for spring A three-block stretch of the Detroit Riverwalk between Beaubien and Rivard streets reopened this week after a five-month closure, ahead of a May 1 target date. Michigan Department of Transportation crews installed a new storm sewer outfall intended to reduce flooding risk and improve water quality discharged into the Detroit River. The work is part of the larger I-375 corridor project. Atwater and Franklin streets also reopened to through traffic in the area. 📌 Source: The Detroit News
🗞️ 650 sites, $4.5 million and counting: Detroit’s demolition dirt investigation Detroit’s toxic demolition dirt scandal continues expanding months after former Mayor Mike Duggan left office, with more than 650 sites now flagged for testing and the city’s environmental testing contract growing 350% to $4.5 million. Contaminants including lead, arsenic, and cancer-linked chemicals were found near homes. The crisis is fueling political attacks on Duggan’s gubernatorial campaign, though his team maintains his December statements were accurate, and contractors are expected to reimburse cleanup costs. 📌 Source: Metro Times
🗞️ ‘No water for ICE,’ Detroit demonstrators tell GLWA Protesters gathered outside a Great Lakes Water Authority board meeting in Detroit Wednesday, urging the regional water provider to deny service to a proposed ICE detention facility in Romulus. The Coalition to Shut the Camps argues GLWA has a moral responsibility to refuse. The authority responded that it supplies water to partner communities, not individual sites, and does not directly contract with private entities. The Romulus facility has faced legal challenges from the city and state. 📌 Source: Detroit Free Press
🗞️ Michigan declared high-risk for Lyme disease for first time Lyme disease cases in Michigan have surged from 553 in 2022 to 2,167 in 2025, prompting the CDC to designate the state a “high-incidence jurisdiction” for the first time. State epidemiologist Rachel Burkholder attributes the rise to a growing tick population well-adapted to Michigan’s climate, alongside increased awareness among patients and physicians. Health officials urge residents to use EPA-approved repellents, perform tick checks after outdoor activity, and stick to well-groomed trails. 📌 Source: Michigan Public
🗞️ Michigan escapes liability in Edenville Dam case — but more lawsuits remain The Michigan Court of Claims ruled Thursday that the state is not legally responsible for the 2020 Edenville Dam collapse, finding residents failed to prove the Michigan DNR and EGLE substantially caused their property losses or abused their authority. The dam failed May 19, 2020, after heavy rainfall, triggering a cascade that overwhelmed the Sanford Dam, forcing more than 10,000 evacuations and destroying hundreds of homes. Additional lawsuits related to the disaster remain pending. 📌 Source: WDIV-TV