DTE-Backed Group Sues Ann Arbor to Prevent Voter Choice in November

Ann Arbor, Michigan, August 14, 2026.  On August 10, the Ann Arbor Responsible Energy Coalition (A2REC), a ballot question committee bankrolled almost entirely by DTE Energy, filed a lawsuit against City Clerk Jacqueline Beaudry and the City of Ann Arbor. The suit came six days after Beaudry certified petitions with over 5,000 valid voter signatures, qualifying a public power city charter amendment for the November 3 election ballot. In its filing, A2REC claims Beaudry certified the count too late. “We’re confident that Clerk Beaudry followed procedures correctly,” said Brian Geiringer, executive director of Ann Arbor for Public Power (A2P2), which led the petition drive. “Her reputation for both rigor and fairness is impeccable. This groundless lawsuit is a direct attack on the will of the people to have an alternative to DTE on the ballot this November.”

A2REC’s action was not entirely unexpected. The city charter amendment, if approved by voters, would create a new municipal electric utility as a department of city government, along with a process to select governing board members in 2028. This would be a first step towards ending DTE’s monopoly on electricity distribution in Ann Arbor and giving residents democratic control over energy decisions. “DTE knows that Ann Arbor residents want clean energy, more reliable service and relief from constant rate hikes,” said A2P2 president Sean Higgins. “The company is desperate to deny voters a choice this November. That’s why A2REC filed this lawsuit. We look forward to its rapid dismissal and to a historic election campaign this fall.”

Ann Arbor for Public Power, a nonprofit grassroots citizen group, has been leading the municipalization effort since 2020. For more information, go to https://annarborpublicpower.org