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DTE, Consumers officials appear before House Committee

Pouring rain did not stop this DTE crew from working on downed power lines behind houses off Thomas Avenue in Warren, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.
Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press
Pouring rain did not stop this DTE crew from working on downed power lines behind houses off Thomas Avenue in Warren, Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.

Michigan’s largest utility companies faced questioning from state lawmakers today over recent widespread blackouts.

The utilities blame the blackouts on an aging electric grid.

Ice storms across the past two months have left hundreds of thousands of customers without power—often for days at a time.

House Energy, Communications, and Technology Committee chair Helena Scott—a Democrat—says the companies need to make a change.

“It’s unconscionable that people have been going so long without power, without food, losing medicine, and I think if anything we got from this hearing it’s that change needs to come and we’re going to start doing that in this Legislature.”

Scott says she hopes to get a policy work-group together soon to recommend new laws.