State Rep. Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, on Friday issued the following statement after the Michigan Public Service Commission authorized a $368 million rate hike for DTE Energy customers — a 6.4% increase:

“Mandates come with expensive compliance costs. As the state ramps up new energy requirements, Michiganders’ electricity prices will keep ramping up, too. We’re already seeing rates rise because of previous ‘clean energy’ regulations, and burdensome new laws will require costly investments and make electric bills more expensive for residents and local businesses. Michigan families deserve better than the higher energy prices headed their way.”

DTE said it needed the rate increase in part to comply with the state’s existing clean energy goals — targets much smaller than Democrats’ new clean energy mandates. The “100% clean energy” laws Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed this week will effectively ban natural gas power plants by requiring expensive, impractical carbon capture technology, instead shifting to more wind and solar, which are less reliable power sources than natural gas. Tisdel warned Michigan residents and small businesses will pay higher electric bills to cover the costly investments in wind and solar.