Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said Friday that if she wins the governor’s race this fall, she’ll look to compel utilities to spend more to upgrade Michigan’s electric grid.
Benson is running against Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, former Cape Coral, Florida, Mayor Marni Sawicki and biochemist Kevin Hogan, among others, for the Democratic Party nomination.
In Saginaw Friday, Benson laid out her energy plan, which includes placing limits on political contributions utilities can make.
“We’re paying these skyrocketing bills and we don’t know where all this money is going,” said Benson, “Is it going to eliminate these outages and modernize our grid? Or is it just going to increase the profits of corporations and CEO’s?”
Benson’s plan as she laid it out includes:
- Demand a comprehensive grid audit
- Launch a statewide Home Energy Bills Relief Program
- Modernize Michigan's power grid
- Restrict political contributions from public utilities
- Protect residents from unfair electricity shutoffs
- Expand prevailing wage and create more well-paying union jobs in Michigan's clean energy sector
- Reform the rate setting process
- Ensure corporations — not ratepayers — pay the cost of increased energy demands
Both DTE and Consumers Energy issued statements, not directly answering Benson’s plan.
“We know that Michiganders are experiencing the cost of everything increasing — from groceries, to housing, to gas prices — which is why we’re focused on securing the grid, powering homes and investing in Michigan," said Katie Carey, Consumers director of media relations. "We will work with any future administration and Legislature on achieving these goals,” said
DTE’s statement struck a similar neutral tone:
We recognize that affordability remains a critical concern for the families and businesses we serve. While DTE Energy's electric bills have remained below regional and national averages, we are mindful of the impact any increase can have on our customers and continue to look for ways to manage costs responsibly," the company's statement said.
"Over the past five years, we have worked hard to make the grid stronger and smarter. And, while we still have work to do, we are proud to see that our recent investments in the electric system resulted in 2025 being the most reliable year for customers in nearly two decades and our customers have seen an 88% reduction in time spent without power since 2023," the statement continued.
"As weather patterns become more severe and expectations for reliable service continue to rise, we believe it is important to work collaboratively with regulators, policymakers and other stakeholders to carefully balance reliability and long‑term system needs with keeping bills as low as possible for the best interest of our customers," said DTE.
Editor's note: Consumers Energy and DTE Energy are among Michigan Public's corporate sponsors.
