Landowners urge MPSC to reconsider ITC transmission routing; Detroit resident urges no DTE rate hike

During the public comment period the commission heard several residents opposing ITC’s proposed 345 kV transmission project in case U-21471 and a Detroit resident urging the commission not to approve utility rate increases.

Carol Sanbor, who said she lives near the Maple River in Lebanon Township, told the commission the primary ITC route would cut across her 80-acre field and within a football-field length of her home and argued the proposal fails to provide two routes as she read Public Act 233. She said county officials had voted to join an appeal and urged the commission to consider alternative corridors.

A second in-person speaker identifying as Brennan, an Eagle Township landowner, said his family’s centennial farm faces imminent condemnation under the primary route and presented a map contrasting ITC’s primary route with an alternative corridor that follows existing transmission corridors and unused land near a transmission substation. Brennan urged the commission to favor corridors that minimize community and agricultural impacts.

A remote commenter identified only as Charity, a Detroit West Side resident, asked the commission not to raise DTE Energy’s rates and described impacts from outages on dialysis patients and elderly residents; she asked how to follow up on the commission’s decision and was given docket U-21291 to review the DTE Gas rate case.

The chair closed public comment and reminded residents they may submit written comments to the commission’s posted email address.