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>> Jason: IT BECAME AN
UNFORTUNATE THEME OF THE SUMMER:
STRONG STORMS TAKING OUT POWER
FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
IN METRO DETROIT, SOME FOR AS
LONG AS A WEEK OR MORE!
TONIGHT’S MICHIGAN’S ATTORNEY
GENERAL IS REVEALING HER PLANS
TO HOLD UTILITY COMPANIES ACCOUNT ABILITY.
ACCOUNT ABILITY.
>> Karen: SHE WANTS TO PUT MORE
MONEY IN YOUR POCKET AND SAT
DOWN WITH HANK HOW SHE PLANS TO
GET IT DONE.
AND SHE’S VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT
THIS.
>> Hank: MICHIGAN’S AG IS TICKED
OFF AND UNDERSTANDS WHY SO MANY
OF YOU ARE FRUSTRATED, WITH MANY
OUTAGES.
SHE WANTS MORE ANSWERS AND WANTS
MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET.
THE STORMS THIS SUMMER, THEY’VE
BEEN WILD!
AND THEY’VE WREAKED HAVOC ALL
OVER THE AREA.
TREES DOWN, POWER OUT.
IT’S BEEN A NIGHTMARE.
>> I’M SORRY, IT WILL BE
RESTORED BY SUNDAY AND THEN
EVERY DAY, MONDAY, THEN TUESDAY,
AND FINALLY SAY WEDNESDAY.
>> Hank: THE LATEST ROUNDS OF
STORMS TAXING ON NOT ONLY
CONSUMERS BUT DTE.
CREWS CALLED IN FROM ALL OVER TO
ASSIST.
THE DTE PRESIDENT ON THE GROUND
AWARE THIS WAS A DOOZY.
>> THE STORM CAME THROUGH ABOUT
4:00 ON WEDNESDAY, AND WE’LL BE
DONE BY SUNDAY.
>> Hank: WHILE THE MAJORED --
MAJORITY WERE RESTORED BUT
OTHERS LOST GROCERIES, CHECKED
INTO HOTELS AND WONDERING WHEN
THE POWER WILL COME BACK ON.
MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL DANA
NESSEL WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU,
LAUNCHING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU
TO SHARE YOUR OUTAGE STORY.
IT’S AN ONLINE AUGUST POWER
OUTAGE FEEDBACK FORUM.
YOU SHARE YOUR STORY AND THE AG
USES THAT INFORMATION TO LEARN
THE BEST WAY TO WORK WITH DTE TO
PREVENT THESE PROBLEMS AND GIVE
YOU MORE MONEY.
>> THAT WILL BETTER SERVE US
WHEN WE GOT TO THE MICHIGAN
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND MY
OFFICE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO
INTERVENE AND CAN MAKE THE
CLAIMS OF CONSUMERS ACROSS THE
STATE.
>> Hank: IN REGARDS TO THE
LATEST ROUND OF BAD WEATHER,
YOUR POWER HAD TO BE OUT FOR 120
CONSECUTIVE HOURS TO BE ELIGIBLE
BECAUSE THIS WEATHER EVENT WAS
CONSIDERED NONCATASTROPHIC.
>> Hank: WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE A
RATE FREEZE?
>> WE’LL LOOK AT WHETHER THAT’S
NECESSARY.
I THINK THE COMPANY SHOULD BE
ACCOUNTING FOR HOW THE RATE
INCREASES HAVE BEEN SPENT.
>> Hank: DTE AND CONSUMERS SPEND
MILLIONS ON SYSTEM UPGRADES AND
DTE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY STEPPED UP
THE TREE-TRIMMING PROGRAM.
BUT DANA NESSEL WANTS REAM
NUMBERS AND REAL INSIGHT INTO
HOW THE MONEY IS BEING USED AND
WHAT WILL BE DONE TO LIMIT
OUTAGES IN THE FUTURE.
>> THERE SHOULD BE GREATER
ACCOUNT
ACCOUNTABILITY BECAUSE WE HAVE
SOME OF THE HIGHEST RATES IN THE
COUNTRY AND THE WORST SERVICE.
>> Hank: IF A STORM LEAVES YOU
IN THE DARK, CONTACT DTE AND
CONSUMERS DAILY, USE TWITTER, AN
EFFECTIVE QUICK WAY TO
COMMUNICATE WITH THESE BUSY
TEAMS.
DOCUMENT EVERYTHING, THE LENGTH
OF THE OUTAGE AND EVERYTHING YOU
LOST AS A RESULT.
AND CONTACT THE AG.
MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL DANA
NESSEL AND HER TEAM WANT TO KNOW
HOW YOU’RE IMPACTED SO THEY CAN
WORK ON SOLUTIONS.
SO FAR, 4,000 PEOPLE HAVE FILLED
OUT THE SURVEY.
GET MORE INFORMATION ON THE AG’S
WEBSITE.
I DID RECEIVE A VERY DETAILED
STATEMENT FROM DTE AND WANT TO
SHARE PART OF IT WITH YOU RIGHT
NOW: DTE IS ACTIVELY WORKING IN
THE COMMUNITIES HARDEST HIT BY THE RECENT STORMS TO IMPROVE
.
>> Hank: THE FULL STATEMENT AT
CLICKONDETROIT.COM.
I REACHED OUT TO CONSUMERS
ENERGY BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A
RESPONSE.
HANK WINCHESTER, "HELP ME HANK."