Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said on April 6 that she will continue to intervene in all major rate cases before the Michigan Public Service Commission, following a new announcement by Consumers Energy about another planned electric rate hike. The utility submitted a formal notice to the commission on April 3, stating its intent to seek an additional increase “on or after June 2, 2026,” just one week after the commission approved a $276.6 million rate hike set to take effect May 1.
The repeated requests for higher rates have raised concerns about affordability and transparency for Michigan residents who depend on regulated utilities. Nessel said her office remains committed to reviewing every detail of upcoming filings but called for legislative action as well. “The rate hike just approved by the MPSC hasn’t even taken effect yet, and Consumers Energy is already gearing up to reach back into the pockets of Michigan families,” Nessel said. “Ratepayers don’t have a choice in who they buy their energy from, yet our utility companies still choose to make these relentless and unsustainable rate hike demands year after year. Announcing plans to file what we expect to be a new multi-hundred-million-dollar request just seven days after securing a nearly $280 million hike proves how truly broken this system has become. Ratepayers are trapped in a loop where the demands for more from these massive utilities never end, even as energy prices become unaffordable for working families. My office will continue to scrutinize every penny of this upcoming filing, but intervention alone is no longer enough. It is past time for legislators on both sides of the aisle to come together and fix this broken system for Michiganders.”
Consumers Energy’s last approved increase also authorizes it to earn a 9.9% return on equity for all new capital expenditure projects, including those tied to data center construction projects.
Recent filings from both DTE and Consumers Energy have included costs such as private jet travel and executive compensation incentives that could not be shown as reasonable or prudent during regulatory review processes currently open before state regulators.
Consumers Energy provides electricity service across Michigan with about 1.9 million customers and delivers natural gas service statewide serving around 1.8 million customers.
Nessel serves as Michigan’s 54th attorney general according to the official website. The department advances social efforts through actions against human trafficking and support for vulnerable populations according to its official website. The department also focuses on public service initiatives designed specifically for Michigan residents according to its official website, exercises authority throughout Michigan to safeguard residents, operates with statewide authority to protect residents across Michigan, and influenced policy by drafting Clean Slate legislation in 2019 providing expungement opportunities according to its official website.