Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel isn't just standing by as DTE Electric hustles to score approval for two special contracts meant to power up a hulking data center near Saline, Michigan; she's stepping into the ring, calling for a formal public hearing to scrutinize the deals and protect regular folks from footing a future hefty bill. In a move that echoes her commitment to keep electric bills from skyrocketing, Nessel lobbed a notice of intervention at the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) like it was game time, arguing the stakes were too high for the sort of behind-closed-doors tango DTE wants.
The dance partner in question, Green Chile Ventures LLC, an arm of the tech giant Oracle Corporation, is looking to build a 1.4-gigawatt digital fortress that stacks up, demand-wise, with slapping an extra million homes onto DTE's grid, no small gig. But, with DTE's ask for a quickie ex parte request, meaning no nosy neighbors at a public hearing poking around, the AG's stepping in might be the reality check needed because, as reported by Michigan Department of Attorney General, "Reducing electric bills and making energy affordable is essential," Nessel said, and bringing sunlight to these shadowy deals is her play to ensure Michiganders won't end up bag-holding a potentially underused or even unbuilt data fortress.
Just last week, DTE Electric tried to slide through with its ex parte request, but Nessel's intervention is a bid to force a public airing, where protections and promises of cost-saving for customers can be put under the microscope. Nessel's got a track record of pulling back the reins on utility companies before the MPSC, touting big savings for Michigan consumers totaling over $4 billion since taking office.
It's worth noting, back in February, when Consumers Energy played a similar hand for a data center tariff, the MPSC wasn't having any of it, calling out the need to get all the cards on the table given the "unique and significant cost implications" these digital behemoths can involve; this past decision signals a precedent that may not bode well for DTE's hushed contract push. The MPSC's choice to dial up an evidentiary record back then paints a clear picture that they're not shy about demanding clarity and accountability where it counts—their distinction: "the development of an evidentiary record to consider the February 7 application is prudent and reasonable," resonates with the kind of oversight Nessel is angling for now, per the Michigan Department of Attorney General.
