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Voices: Detroit’s DTE shutoff crisis has a face, and it looks like mine

Planet Detroit

Published June 27th, 2026

Written by Amani Sawari


Utility shutoffs show what energy poverty looks like in a wealthy country, writes Amani Sawari of We Want Green Too.


Overview:

  • DTE shut off service 48,000 times in Detroit in 2025, representing 62% of all shutoffs across its entire service territory.

  • Detroit shutoffs lasted an average of 38 days, totaling more than 1.8 million days without gas service — roughly a full week of lost service for every DTE customer in the city.

  • Cities with majority Black and brown populations face significantly higher shutoff rates. Ann Arbor, with more DTE customers than most cities on the top 10 list, ranks last among them for shutoffs.



Voices: Detroit’s DTE shutoff crisis has a face, and it looks like mine
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