Westland council president criticizes DTE reliability, urges regional public-power discussion

Council President McDermott used his council comments to sharply criticize DTE Energy's reliability and urged residents and local leaders to consider public-power options and greater oversight of the Michigan Public Service Commission.

Citing a Michigan Citizens Utility Board analysis (2021), McDermott said Michigan ranked 46th nationally in grid reliability and paid the 14th-highest rates. "We all collectively have to pray and wonder, is our power gonna stay on during a storm?" he said, urging residents to attend Public Service Commission meetings and to explore public-power initiatives with neighboring communities.

McDermott noted options such as enhanced tree trimming, burying lines and forming regional public-power working groups similar to initiatives in Ann Arbor and other municipalities. He said Westland likely could not immediately create its own municipal utility, but called for Metro Detroit municipalities to work together on public-power strategies.

Council members echoed concerns over recent outages and thanked first responders and city staff for services during heat and storm events. The council president framed the reliability problems as a consumer-protection issue tied to DTE's structure as a publicly traded, for-profit utility regulated by the state commission.

What happens next: McDermott urged residents to monitor the Michigan Public Service Commission and to hold appointees accountable; he proposed continued local discussion of public-power alternatives and greater civic engagement at state regulatory hearings.