Governor Gretchen Whitmer Backs MPSC Plan to Halt Annual Utility Rate Hikes and Opposes Hydro Dam Sale

LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced her support for new Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) regulatory recommendations designed to end the cycle of annual utility rate increases for residential power consumers, while formally intervening against a proposed private sale of 13 hydroelectric dams.

Ending Mandatory Annual Rate Hikes

The MPSC framework recommends state lawmakers transition electric utilities—including DTE Energy and Consumers Energy—from annual rate case filings to three-year performance-based rate plans tied to grid reliability metrics and outage duration caps.

"Michigan families deserve reliable energy at bills they can afford," Whitmer said. "Tying utility rates to concrete performance standards holds companies accountable for every dollar spent on storm response and infrastructure."

Intervening on Hydroelectric Dam Infrastructure

Simultaneously, Governor Whitmer formally opposed Consumers Energy's proposal to sell 13 hydro dams along the Muskegon, Manistee, Au Sable, Grand, and Kalamazoo rivers to a private equity firm, warning that private ownership risks maintenance shortfalls and passes emergency repair liabilities to taxpayers.

Legislative and Regulatory Timeline

The Michigan Legislature will review the MPSC's statutory recommendations when lawmakers reconvene for the fall session, while the MPSC conducts public evidentiary hearings on the dam asset transfers.