DTE Energy CEO "Feel[s] Good" About Political Climate Concerning Choice Legislation

Gerard Anderson, DTE Energy's chairman, president and CEO, said during an earnings call last week that he, "feel[s] good about the political climate," concerning the potential to expand the current 10% electric choice cap.

DTE Energy is the parent of Detroit Edison.

Regarding attempts to expand or eliminate the cap, Anderson said:

"It really played out late in the year [2011] with the review in the Senate Energy Committee, where they took a broad look at the laws that were passed in 2008 and how they felt about them. And if you go and look at the findings of that committee, what they essentially said was: '[We've] done a full review, we like the way they're working, and we're going to stand firm.' And if you go into the administration with the Governor and his key aides, I think not only is their focus elsewhere, they don't see any modification to the regulatory construct Michigan as a priority either. So I feel good about the political climate."

More broadly, Anderson also said that DTE continues to see, "solid and broad political support" for the regulatory structure put in place in 2008, which included the choice cap as well as other measures, such as a form of file-and-use rates.