Client: Michigan Environmental Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Sierra Club
Authors: Bryndis Woods, PhD
June 2026
On behalf of Michigan Environmental Council, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Sierra Club, Principal Analyst Dr. Bryndis Woods filed testimony before the Michigan Public Service Commission regarding DTE Electric Company's Request for expedited approval of the Company’s "Special Contracts" with Google LLC to serve Google's planned 1.0 gigawatt data center facility in Van Buren Township, Michigan, which is scheduled to begin taking electric service from DTE in December 2027.
Dr. Woods’ direct testimony focuses on the Company’s proposed renewable energy and energy storage buildouts, issues with the Company’s customer benefit analysis, and provides recommendations to help ensure that the Company meets (1) its renewable energy and energy storage capacity goals consistent with utility planning best practices and (2) its Renewable Portfolio Standard obligations. Dr. Woods’ testimony also recommends that certain issues should not be decided in this case, such as cost allocations or resource predeterminations.