October 27, 2026, OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – To lower costs and address affordability issues, Oakland County has taken the next steps in intervening in the DTE Electric Company’s (DTE) proposed rate increase rate case before the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). The process began in May when the Oakland County Board of Commissioners voted to oppose the DTE proposed rate increase request, which would go into effect by March 2027. Today, the county has submitted its brief to the MPSC requesting state regulators to:

1. Reject or substantially reduce DTE’s average proposed 9.7% residential rate increase, and limit the net total increase to the current level of inflation, 3.7%;
2. Require DTE to make transparent disclosure of net effective rate changes annually; and
3. Require DTE to perform proactive annual reviews to identify residential and business customers who may qualify for a more affordable available rate. 

While preparing its case and demonstrating the rising costs for households across the county, the Board invited residents to voluntarily share their December 2025 and April 2026 DTE statements to show how their bills have increased from the most recent rate increase already in effect.

“In less than one week, we received more than 1,250 bill submissions from residents who are tired of these ongoing rising costs,” said Board Chair David T. Woodward (D-Royal Oak). “The swift and urgent response supporting this fight clearly demonstrates another proposed rate increase would be simply unaffordable for many households, especially when the new proposed rate would increase bills for Oakland County residential customers to DTE by approximately $76 million per year.”

The county believed the effective electric bills from the last rate increase were more than what was approved and after analyzing the submitted statements from residents, it was calculated the net effective rate increase was at least 13% — substantially more than the 4.6% increase that was approved. Because of this, the county believes customers should be told how much the rates and charges actually impact their total bill.

The county is advocating on behalf of residents for electric rates that are easy to understand. While exploring residential customer increases, the county also reviewed its own commercial electric accounts and found $13,000 in annual savings by moving to a rate that better matched its usage. The county believes all customers should have access to the same benefit of analyzing their bill and prevent them from paying more.

A timeline of the rate case includes:

• April 28, 2026: DTE requested approval of an electric service rate increase affecting residents, businesses and public institutions with the MPSC, shortly after a previously approved rate increase of nearly 5% went into effect in March 2026.
• May 21, 2026: The Board approved a resolution to authorize Oakland County to intervene in rate approval proceedings, becoming the first county in Michigan to use its authority under the Michigan Constitution.
• August 26, 2026: The county submitted testimony to the MPSC in DTE’s 2026 general electric rate case, presenting an analysis of the issue of affordability in the county for electricity services. The testimony also asked MPSC to require DTE to announce the net effective rate increase of any approved rate increase and for it to audit residential and commercial customer bills to ensure customers are on the most affordable rate possible.
• September 11, 2026: The Board opened a voluntary submission portal for residents to share their December 2025 and April 2026 DTE statements to demonstrate the financial impact on household budgets.
• October 27, 2026: The county submitted its brief to MPSC, requesting the rejection or substantial reduction of the average proposed 9.7% residential rate increase and the consideration of adopting its transparency and customer-rate recommendations.

Actions to intervene in the same DTE rate case have also been taken by the Macomb County and Wayne County commissions. A final decision by MPSC is expected February 2027.

For more information about the Board of Commissioners, please visit OaklandCountyMI.gov/BOC or call 248-858-0100.