DTE seeks ANOTHER rate hike — offers to ‘slow’ annual nine-figure requests if MPSC approves data center deals
DTE Energy wants to tap its 2.3 million electric customers for another $474.3 million next year, though the Detroit-based company promises to slow its rapid-fire rate increases if state regulators approve more data centers.
DTE announced Thursday it will file a request for a $474.3 million rate increase next week with the governor-appointed Michigan Public Service Commission, its fifth nine-figure request in seven years and largest since at least 2019.
“Reliable power isn’t just about keeping the lights on, it’s about supporting families, businesses and the broader Michigan economy,” DTE President Matt Paul said in a statement. “While we’re proud of our progress, we know we have more work ahead. Every investment we make moves us closer to our goal: a stronger, more reliable grid for ever DTE customer, no matter the weather.”
DTE signaled in February, just a week after the MPSC approved a $242 million electric rate hike, the company planned to come back for more in April. Click here to learn more.
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Fetterman calls on Democrats to ‘drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom’ after shooting
Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., on Sunday called on Democrats to support building the White House ballroom given the shooting that occurred at the White House correspondents’ dinner.
“We were there front and center. That venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S. government,” Fetterman wrote Sunday on X, referencing “Trump Derangment Syndrome.”
“After witnessing last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these,” he added.
Illinois’ number of high school grads to plunge 32%. Lawmakers still want more college money.
Despite a projected sharp decline in high school graduates, Illinois lawmakers are considering jacking up university funding that’s already twice the national average.
House Bill 1581 would boost state money to the state’s public universities by $135 million a year over the next 15 years. Meanwhile, in about the same time frame the number of high school graduates in Illinois is forecast to fall 32%.
Given that, the state should focus on efficient use of higher education money and meeting workforce needs, not spending more.
Illinois’ public colleges and universities already are funded at twice the national average. In 2025, Illinois allocated $2.6 Billion to colleges in the annual budget.
At the same time, research has found that Illinois public universities provided the Midwest’s lowest median return on investment, at only $112,154 — less than half of South Dakota’s $216,927. That return is the additional income a person earned as a result of having a degree minus the cost of college. Click here to read more.
CA Hospice Fraud Question: ‘How Do You Put a Hospice in a Burrito Stand?’
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has halted payments to more than 400 hospices in Los Angeles and across California, with the estimated fraud being greater than $600 million, according to the anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance.
Sheila Clark, CEO of the California Hospice and Palliative Care Association, is questioning how these alleged instances of fraud have slipped through the cracks.
“How do you put a hospice in a burrito stand in California? How do you put a hospice in a tire store? That all had to be vetted through licensure, certification, and accreditation,” Clark said during a House of Representatives hearing on April 21. Click here to read more.
Whitmer’s energy emergency order stretches her authority
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer exceeded her executive authority with an April 2 emergency order on gasoline prices, according to an expert on separation of powers in Michigan government.
The emergency order temporarily suspends state-level requirements on Reid vapor pressure — used to reduce the amount of ozone created from gasoline — for gasoline sold in Michigan. The suspension aligns with an earlier waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Whitmer noted in her order that fuel prices have increased by 30% since the start of the Iran war.
“Michigan families, already facing rising prices due to inflation and tariffs, now have to pay more to get to work and school, while businesses must absorb higher costs to operate,” the governor wrote. “By expanding the fuel supply available for distribution, this action will help alleviate upward pressure on prices.” Click here to read more.
