Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 29, 2026. Pre-election campaign disclosures show that the Ann Arbor Responsible Energy Coalition (A2REC), a DTE Energy front group, has so far spent over $1.713 million to defeat Proposal E. By comparison, the Ann Arbor for Public Power (A2P2) ballot question committee spent $49,548 to support the proposal. That’s a 34-to-1 spending ratio. Voter approval of Proposal E would amend the City Charter to establish a municipal electric utility and a process for selecting a governing board in 2028. “Ann Arbor voters have been subject to a relentless campaign of disinformation on Proposal E, fueled by an astounding amount of DTE Energy money – money that we, the ratepayers, gave them,” said A2P2 director Brian Geiringer.
A2REC is almost completely bankrolled by DTE Energy. Of its $2.004 million in total funds raised, 94 percent, or $1.889 million, comes from DTE. The Edison Electric Institute, the national trade group for investor-owned electric utilities, added $50,000. A2REC has not reported a single contribution from an individual, and has raised no money from inside Ann Arbor. By contrast, the A2P2 ballot question committee has received 308 separate individual donations, ranging from $5 to $3,000, a large majority from Ann Arbor residents.
These totals don’t count the thousands of hours of volunteer time spent collecting petition signatures, knocking on doors, organizing community events and disseminating campaign materials. “Ours is a true grassroots campaign,” Geiringer said. “DTE, on the other hand, is behind the obvious ‘astroturf’ effort to discredit Proposal E. It’s spending an obscene amount of outside money to spread disinformation, such as that Proposal E could raise taxes and utility rates. That’s completely false.”
In fact, Proposal E carries no cost obligation. Importantly, it does not authorize any action against DTE. Condemnation proceedings would require future action by City Council or the voters. Then voters would need to approve a final acquisition contract. “DTE, through A2REC, is saturating the media with a message of fear in order to defeat Proposal E,” Geiringer said. “We’re hoping that voters will see Proposal E for what it is: a modest, sensible first step towards exploring a public power option for Ann Arbor.”
A relatively small player in the election is Voters for a Sustainable Ann Arbor, a local group that has spent $3,944 to date opposing Proposal E. Its largest contributor, with $2,500, is Jeff Hauptman, founder and CEO of the Oxford Companies, a major local developer.
The $1.713 million spent by A2REC to date is by far the most money thrown at a local election by any group in Ann Arbor’s history. It dwarfs, by almost an order of magnitude, the roughly $200,000 spent by groups for and against Proposals C and D in 2024. “We’re doing our best to counter DTE money through our many dedicated volunteers, who are out knocking doors every night,” Geiringer said. “We believe that people can win over money.”
