Make DTE Pay Act

Key Points

• This bill targets electric and gas companies that are owned by investors. It would change the Clean Air Act to make pollution fines much more expensive for these companies if they are also raising prices for their customers.
• If a utility company breaks air quality rules, their fine would be doubled for every rate hike they received in the two years before the penalty. It would also double for any rate hike they try to get in the two years after the penalty.
• The goal is to stop utility companies from passing the cost of pollution fines onto families or asking for more money while they are failing to follow environmental laws.
• This would apply to any investor-owned utility in the country. It specifically focuses on companies that seek higher rates from regulators while being penalized for not complying with clean air standards.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.