Legal Battle Over Ann Arbor’s Energy Future Intensifies
In a heated legal contest, DTE Energy is backing the Ann Arbor Responsible Energy Coalition in a lawsuit against the city of Ann Arbor and its clerk, Jacqueline Beaudry. At the center of the dispute is Beaudry’s certification of petitions that could pave the way for a city-managed electric utility, a move that would potentially replace DTE as the city’s power supplier.
The grassroots initiative, spearheaded by Ann Arbor for Public Power (A2P2), seeks voter approval this November for a charter amendment. This amendment aims to establish a Municipal Electric Utility Board, enabling the city to manage its own electricity service independently of DTE Energy.
The lawsuit argues that A2P2’s petition lacks the necessary valid signatures and accuses Beaudry of improperly allowing the submission of additional petition sheets after her initial review. According to the lawsuit, even with these supplemental sheets, the petition still falls short by nearly 200 valid signatures required for inclusion on the November ballot.
Moreover, the lawsuit contends that the proposed charter amendment violates the Home Rule City Act by addressing more than one subject, contravening the Act’s single-subject stipulation for proposed amendments.
As of now, the city of Ann Arbor has not issued a response to the lawsuit.
Brian Geiringer, executive director of Ann Arbor for Public Power, expressed confidence in Beaudry’s actions, stating, “We’re confident that Clerk Beaudry followed procedures correctly. Her reputation for both rigor and fairness is impeccable. This groundless lawsuit is a direct attack on the will of the people to have an alternative to DTE on the ballot this November.”
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