What's behind Michigan's frequent power outages?

WESTLAND, Mich. (FOX 2) - After another burdensome series of power outages, Westland's state representative is asking for his constituents to get in touch with him.

Democratic Rep. Kevin Coleman said his city is the epicenter of outages in Metro Detroit. After severe weather led to hundreds of thousands of homes losing power, he's putting out the call to better understand the experiences of those who repeatedly lose power.

"Somebody like me, I can sit in the dark. I’m Okay," he said. "But I think about senior citizens, people with medical issues, people who rely on oxygen (and) medical devices. I want to know how they’re making it. How are they understanding and going through this?"

Coleman said DTE's record profits should be reinvested into the community "so we have a reliable energy grid."

"The taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for creating a reliable grid," he said.

What makes a reliable grid is a complicated question. And amid growing threats of extreme weather pushing through the Great Lakes, it's becoming an increasingly important one to answer with no slowdown in severe storms like the one that dropped seven tornadoes on Michigan two weeks ago.

Michigan operates under several different utility companies that work like monopolies. In exchange for being guaranteed a segment of the state to service, companies like DTE and Consumers rely on the Michigan Public Service Commission to set its rates and authorize its energy sources.

"The free market would always cater to the consumer. That’s the way it’s always been," said Dr. Chris Kobus. "I’d love to say minimize the government footprint other than the carbon footprint."

Kobus is the head of the Clean Energy Research Center at Oakland University.

MORE: Commission that regulates Michigan utilities proposes penalties for outages

He said part of the issue is that utility companies are "replacing very reliable sources with less reliable sources - shrinking the margins for other government goals," he said. The goals include de-carbonization of the grid so it's powered with more renewable power and fewer fossil fuels.

Coleman said the legislature is exploring all options, including the option of introducing more competition in the market.

DTE said it has a four-point plan for reducing outages and the length of the outages. That includes tree trimming, updating existing infrastructure, rebuilding significant portions of the grid, and accelerating the state's transition to a ‘smart grid.’