NOVI, Mich. — Novi homeowners and renters who get their power from DTE Electric have Oakland County on their side in a state rate case that could raise residential bills an average of 9.7%.
The county, which became the first in Michigan to intervene in a utility rate case under its constitutional authority, filed its brief with the Michigan Public Service Commission on Oct. 27. It asks regulators to throw out or deeply cut the request and to keep the total increase no higher than inflation, which it puts at 3.7%.
DTE wants an extra $474.3 million a year and says it needs the money for the power grid and generating plants. By the county’s math, households across Oakland County would pay about $76 million more each year if the full request were approved.
Commissioners built their case partly from residents’ own bills. More than 1,250 were sent in within a week, and the county said they showed the real jump from the last rate decision topped 13%, compared with the 4.6% the commission approved in the spring. The brief also asks that DTE tell customers each year how much their total bills changed and check whether they qualify for a cheaper rate.
Nothing has been approved yet. The commission is expected to rule in February 2027.
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