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In an op-ed in the Detroit News published April 27, CUB President Kelly Jo Kitchen makes the case against a proposed bill that would cut funding that makes it possible for groups like CUB to intervene in rate cases. At a cost of just around 25 cents per year from each Michigan family the Utility […]

On April 14, Citizens Utility Board (CUB) of Michigan General Counsel and board member John Liskey testified before the Michigan House Committee on Energy about a proposed bill, HB 5710, that would, among other things, eliminate critical funding to efforts to fight against utility rate hikes. Liskey testified about the 44-year history of the residential

On Thursday, February 19, 2026, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) issued its final decision on DTE Electric’s request to raise electric rates in case U-21860. The Commission approved a revenue increase of about $242 million per year. The new rates go into effect March 5, 2026. The Citizens Utility Board of Michigan (CUB) intervened

Over the summer, we shared an overview of our expert testimony in an Amended Renewable Energy Plan case, U-21813, that could have significant implications for the future of Michigan’s energy landscape. The Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corporation (UMERC) argued in its amended Renewable Energy Plan filing that compliance with Michigan’s 2023 clean and renewable energy

The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has disappointed consumer advocates with a precedent-setting data center decision that sidesteps transparency and closes the door on public input. On October 31, DTE filed an ex parte application for approval of two special contracts to service a new hyperscale data center in Saline Township. In other words, DTE

As the growth of AI drives the race to build hyperscale data centers across the country, public concern about the environmental and economic impacts of those data centers is escalating rapidly. Data centers are resource-intensive, using tremendous amounts of land, water, and electricity. Their massive consumption of power threatens to slow or even reverse progress

In early 2025, Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) submitted two plans to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC): one for how it will meet future energy needs (called an Integrated Resource Plan or IRP), and another for how it will meet renewable energy goals (called an Amended Renewable Energy Plan or AREP). These plans were

This week, the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan (CUB) released a report titled Power Struggle: Energy Insecurity in Michigan’s Low-Income Communities. The report takes a critical look at the current state of energy affordability and reliability for Michigan’s low-income families. Along with evaluating the efficacy of current state and investor-owned utility policies, the report issues

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons As noted in previous blog posts, the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan (CUB) has been closely following efforts to expand Michigan’s electric transmission capacity through the planning and construction of two new transmission lines. These projects were proposed by the Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC) in cases before the Michigan Public

Consumers Energy’s offices at One Energy Plaza, Jackson. Licensed Under Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 4.0.  On Tuesday, Sep 30, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) approved a $157.5 million increase in Consumers Energy gas rates under docket U-21806. This will equate to an 8% increase in residential rates, down from the 12% increase the