ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Ann Arbor will keep DTE Energy as its electric company after voters turned down Proposal E, the citizen-led charter amendment that would have started the city down the road to its own public power utility.
Unofficial Washtenaw County figures show 51.83% of voters opposed the measure and 48.17% backed it. The amendment would have required the city to set up a municipal electric utility run by a nine-member board, with five members elected in 2028 and four appointed by City Council.
The grassroots group Ann Arbor for Public Power had pushed for a vote since 2020, arguing a city utility could reach 100% renewable power faster and deliver steadier, cheaper service. A DTE-funded opposition group spent $1.8 million against it.
City Council voted 10-1 last month to have City Attorney Atleen Kaur challenge the measure in court, and outgoing Mayor Christopher Taylor opposed it. Mayor-elect Yousef Rabhi supported it. A 2023 city study put the cost of buying DTE local distribution assets, not counting substations, at $281 million to $1.15 billion.
Section: More Ann Arbor MI politics news
Filed under: Ann Arbor MI Politics News
