Proposed DTE increase on LED streetlights leaves local cities split

A DTE Energy proposal that would raise rates for light-emitting diode streetlights has drawn criticism from a number of cities that have converted to the more energy-efficient light, but the response from some Pointe leaders is mixed. Some city leaders from around the state are protesting what they say would be a hike in the cost of using the newer LED streetlights, combined with a decrease in the price for operating the older sodium-vapor lights. They say the proposed price change would discourage communities from moving to more energy-efficient LEDs because it would largely eliminate the savings that communities now enjoy from these streetlights.