Powering Progress: Joi Harris’s Vision for Michigan’s Energy Future 

• DTE Energy is driving grid modernization and reliability in Michigan, investing billions in local businesses and infrastructure upgrades that have resulted in significant improvements to power reliability.
• The company is supporting business growth while maintaining affordability by accommodating the energy needs of new and large customers. 
• DTE prioritizes innovation and community support by implementing virtual power plants, advanced technologies, and initiatives that benefit Michigan communities. 

View the full session recording below.

As the Chief Executive Officer of DTE Energy, Joi Harris is leading the charge to modernize Michigan’s energy infrastructure and position the state as a hub for innovation and economic growth. In a conversation with NBC WDIV-TV 4’s Jason Colthorp, Harris provided a glimpse into DTE’s strategic priorities and the company’s commitment to serving its customers and community. 

At the heart of DTE’s vision is a focus on grid modernization and reliability, Harris said. 

In recent years, the company has invested $3.3 billion in Michigan businesses, including $1 billion in Detroit, to upgrade its systems, transitioning from analog to digital and deploying smart grid technology. These investments have paid off, with a 70% improvement in reliability performance between 2023 and 2024, with 2025 marking the company’s best reliability results in over 20 years. 

“We’re ensuring that our infrastructure is in good shape,” Harris said. “We’re making huge investments, but we’re actually using Michigan companies to help us. We’re investing in Michigan companies to really help us build the grid of the future.” 

DTE’s role extends far beyond maintaining the grid. The company is also focused on accommodating the growing energy needs of businesses, notably Michigan’s upcoming data center and other large, low-cost customers. Harris emphasized DTE’s obligation to serve any customer who comes to its door, working to understand their unique requirements and ensuring the necessary infrastructure is in place.

“When those customers show up at our doorstep, we understand their needs, we understand their demand, and we make sure we have that infrastructure in place that can support them,” she said. “And they have to cover the cost of that infrastructure if it’s incremental to what we already have.”

This approach not only benefits DTE’s commercial customers but also helps keep rates affordable for residential consumers. As more large users come online, the fixed costs of grid maintenance and upgrades can be spread across a broader customer base, which can help mitigate rate increases.

Beyond infrastructure investments, DTE is also embracing innovation to adapt to the evolving energy landscape. The company is piloting virtual power plants that use distributed energy resources, such as renewable energy, battery storage, and residential solar, to mimic a large power plant and better manage demand. It’s also leveraging data analytics and machine learning to forecast future needs and configure the grid accordingly.

“We have to innovate,” Harris said. “And we have to use technology ourselves to be able to meet those demands going forward.”

Underpinning DTE’s strategic priorities is a deep commitment to the communities it serves. As a Detroit native, Harris takes the company’s role personally, viewing her team as an extension of her own family and friends. This ethos is reflected in DTE’s robust community engagement efforts, including $15 million in recent donations to support local nonprofits and families in need.

“I don’t serve nameless, faceless people,” Harris said. “I’m serving my family, my friends, my neighbors, and a community that helped shape me. And so that makes my job even more important.”