Ann Arbor Public Power initiative accuses DTE of fronting opposition effort

The Ann Arbor Public Power initiative is accusing DTE Energy of creating a “faux grassroots group” to oppose the city’s effort to transition to a publicly-owned electric utility. Campaign filings for the opposition group, the Ann Arbor Responsible Energy Coalition, initially listed DTE’s headquarters as its address and a DTE director’s email as its contact. DTE acknowledges handling the setup but states the coalition operates independently, citing a study that municipalization would incur significant costs and higher energy bills for Ann Arbor residents, a claim the Ann Arbor Public Power initiative disputes as inflated.