DTE Energy has not paid federal income taxes in the last 12 years despite remaining highly profitable. The news sparked outrage among some Michigan residents, who have seen energy prices continue to rise and argued that the situation is unfair.
Michigan Advance recently reported that the utility company posted profits of $1.54 billion in 2025 while paying no federal income taxes and seeking a 9.7% electric rate increase. The report also noted that DTE is the only publicly traded company in Michigan that appears on the Fortune 500 list.
The company has been able to avoid federal income taxes through a variety of tax credits and incentives tied to investments in infrastructure and clean energy projects. A company spokesperson told the outlet that DTE Energy has “invested billions of dollars” in infrastructure and paid more than $450 million in property taxes in 2025 alone.
Michigan Residents Criticize DTE and High Energy Prices
Many Michigan residents were frustrated to learn that DTE was seeking higher rates while reporting substantial profits and paying no federal income taxes. One seemingly angry user said, “That part that kills me is… 1.5b profit, and you want MORE money from us who can barely pay our bills? [Expletive] those guys. Eat the rich.”
One resident remarked sarcastically, “They’re making so much money, I bet we’re all gonna see some drastic price cuts!” Someone else responded in a similar tone: “You don’t expect those data centers to pay for their power, do you?”
Others were irritated that the company could simply avoid paying taxes legally, without suffering any repercussions. As one commenter put it: “If I didn’t pay taxes for 12 years, I can only imagine what happens.” Another added, “Well, they have enough money to buy ads where they talk about how they are keeping our energy prices low and how extremely reliable they are. They’re a damn monopoly.”
Overall, many users expressed frustration with how DTE operates, and some called for more drastic action. One commenter asked: “How do we seize it and turn it into a public utility?”
It’s still early to tell whether these numbers could affect future hikes in energy prices or tax breaks received by DTE, but it’s clear that the local perception of the utility company is not very positive right now.
