Michigan launches public-private partnership with DTE Energy and Consumers Energy to boost manufacturing and support good-paying jobs

• DTE Energy and Consumers Energy commit to leveraging purchasing power to support and grow Michigan manufacturers and clean energy startups 
• Community & Worker Economic Transition Office launches MI Hub for Manufacturing with support from philanthropy  
• Michigan is a top 10 state for clean energy jobs, leads the nation for total jobs in advanced materials and has the fastest-growing workforce for energy-efficient HVAC and renewable heating and cooling

MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s (LEO) Community & Worker Economic Transition Office announced a public-private partnership designed to create and retain good-paying jobs, support Michigan manufacturers and strengthen the state’s position as a global leader in the energy supply chain at the 2025 Mackinac Policy Conference.

DTE Energy and Consumers Energy have committed a combined $3.5 billion annually — $2 billion from DTE and $1.5 billion from Consumers Energy — to purchase technology, equipment and services from Michigan-based businesses. This historic commitment is focused on strengthening local supply chains for critical energy infrastructure, such as transformers, and next-generation technologies, including solar components and long-duration energy storage systems.  

"Michigan is paving the way growing our economy and meeting our ambitious energy goals,” said Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “Today, we’re launching new resources designed to support our manufacturers and help them create and retain good-paying jobs while building strong, resilient energy supply chains right here in Michigan. This partnership will position our manufacturers to lead in the clean energy future, keeping production local and ensure that Michigan remains a hub of innovation and industry. Let’s keep working hard to make a difference and build a Michigan where everyone can thrive.”

“We know we can keep Michigan as a leader in manufacturing, while also strengthening the prosperity of everyone in our state,” said Community & Worker Economic Transition Office Director Jonathan Smith. "Through innovative partnerships like this one between government, industry, nonprofit organizations and philanthropy we can deliver powerful lasting, impactful solutions that help our businesses, workers and communities plan for and thrive in the future."

The State of Michigan will work closely with DTE and Consumers Energy to identify in-state suppliers, help them retool to meet the energy sector’s needs and connect them with the resources necessary to grow and compete. The partnership will reduce long lead times for critical equipment and components that currently have few or zero domestic suppliers. Having more local suppliers also means keeping prices affordable for Michigan ratepayers. 

“DTE has a long history of partnering with Michigan businesses to keep our spending local, and we’re proud to build on that history by committing to spend $2 billion annually with Michigan suppliers,” said Trevor Lauer, vice chairman and group president, DTE Energy. “Focusing on keeping our spending in-state has a transformative impact on the Michigan economy, allowing businesses to grow and creating thousands of jobs, while also helping DTE to build an agile supply chain that allows us to deliver the services our customers demand and deserve.”   

The partnership will also help utilities more quickly and efficiently meet their reliability and resiliency goals, putting Michigan on track to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

“We'd love to see Michigan’s manufacturing talent and expertise build the energy equipment we need right here at home,” said Rejji Hayes, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for CMS Energy and Consumers Energy. “Cultivating and buying from a resilient, robust energy supply chain in Michigan continues Consumers Energy’s longstanding commitment to in-state suppliers. It’s the natural next step, and the right thing for Consumers Energy, our customers and the state.”

To help manufacturers and clean energy startups retool their facilities and retain their workers to support new work coming in from utilities like DTE and Consumers Energy, the Transition Office is also launching the MI Hub for Manufacturers. With $1.5 million in support from philanthropy and a partnership with Next Street, a national small business and supplier solutions company, this dynamic, interactive online platform will connect small and mid-sized manufactures to public, private and non-profit resources. The platform will publish funding opportunities, connect businesses to expert advisors and capital products, provide on-demand digital learning tools and host partner resources that can help suppliers diversify and grow to enter new supply chains.

“We are proud to partner with the State of Michigan to equip manufacturers with the tools and resources they need to stay competitive, grow, and lead in an evolving industrial landscape,” said CEO of Next Street, Charisse Conanan Johnson. “The MI Hub for Manufacturers is a powerful example of public-private partnership — bringing together government, philanthropy, industry, and community organizations to deliver real value to small and mid-sized businesses. Equitable economic growth starts by unlocking the full potential of our local supply chains, and Michigan is setting the standard for what that looks like.”

The 2024 Clean Jobs America Report stated that clean energy businesses in Michigan added more than 5,200 workers and now employ 127,690 Michiganders. According to Clean Jobs Midwest and Climate Power, the state is projected to add 167,000 clean energy jobs over the next decade, continuing Michigan’s leadership as the no. 1 state in the nation for IRA-funded projects that have resulted in more than $25B in new investments and over 21,400 new jobs across the state.

“The Community and Worker Economic Transition Office will help ensure communities, workers and employers have the support they need to proactively prepare for, benefit from, and shape Michigan’s future economy,” Glenn Stevens Jr., Executive Director, MichAuto at the Detroit Regional Chamber. “This work resonates strongly with MichAuto's mission to ensure the state's signature automotive and mobility industry, Michigan, and its workers continue to lead the world in automotive manufacturing and innovation well into the future.”

The Community & Worker Economic Transition Office was created as part of a historic package of clean energy and climate bills passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Whitmer in 2023. The office will ensure communities, workers and employers have the support they need to proactively prepare for, benefit from, and shape Michigan’s future economy. Learn more at Michigan.gov/EconomicTransition.