<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001214659-23-006135.txt : 20230428
<SEC-HEADER>0001214659-23-006135.hdr.sgml : 20230428
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20230428113435
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001214659-23-006135
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	PX14A6G
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
FILED AS OF DATE:		20230428
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20230428
EFFECTIVENESS DATE:		20230428

SUBJECT COMPANY:	

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			DTE ENERGY CO
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000936340
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	ELECTRIC SERVICES [4911]
		IRS NUMBER:				383217752
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			MI
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		PX14A6G
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-11607
		FILM NUMBER:		23862057

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		ONE ENERGY PLAZA
		CITY:			DETROIT
		STATE:			MI
		ZIP:			48226
		BUSINESS PHONE:		3132354000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		ONE ENERGY PLAZA
		CITY:			DETROIT
		STATE:			MI
		ZIP:			48226

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	DTE HOLDINGS INC
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19950127

FILED BY:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001076439
		IRS NUMBER:				360852885

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		PX14A6G

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1800 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW
		CITY:			WASHINGTON
		STATE:			DC
		ZIP:			20036
		BUSINESS PHONE:		202-730-7000

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1800 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW
		CITY:			WASHINGTON
		STATE:			DC
		ZIP:			20036

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	SERVICE EMPLOYEE INTERNATIONAL
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19990107
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<P STYLE="margin: 0">&nbsp;&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white"><U>Notice of Exempt Solicitation </U></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white">Name of Registrant: DTE Energy Company</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white">Name of Person Relying on Exemption: SEIU
Benefit Plans Master Trust<BR>
Address of Person Relying on Exemption: 1800 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: justify"><B>Written materials are submitted pursuant to
Rule 14a-6(g)(1) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Submission is not required of this filer under the terms of the
Rule, but is made voluntarily in the interest of public disclosure and consideration of these important issues.</B></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; background-color: white">April 28, 2023<BR>
<BR>
Dear Fellow DTE Shareholder,</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">Though companies have a legitimate business interest
in influencing laws and regulations, such activities carry numerous risks. Shareholders should receive full information about policy influence
activities to enable them to assess those risks as well as the adequacy of a company&rsquo;s oversight of them, and to evaluate whether
those activities are in the best interests of long-term shareholders.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">DTE Energy Company (&ldquo;DTE&rdquo; or the &ldquo;Company&rdquo;)
shareholders can call for greater disclosure of DTE&rsquo;s direct and indirect lobbying expenditures at the Company&rsquo;s annual shareholder
meeting on May 4, 2023. Item #7 on DTE&rsquo;s proxy card, &ldquo;Shareholder Proposal&mdash;Lobbying Report&rdquo; (the &ldquo;Proposal&rdquo;),
asks DTE to disclose policies and procedures governing lobbying, payments used for direct or indirect lobbying as well as grassroots lobbying
communications, membership in and payments to tax-exempt organizations that write and endorse model legislation, and the board and management&rsquo;s
decision-making process for making those payments.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">As an initial matter, it is important to note that
the Proposal would not prevent DTE from engaging in public policy advocacy. Rather, it asks the Company to provide information to enable
shareholders to assess whether such advocacy is aligned with the long-term best interests of the Company and its shareholders.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">Companies that lobby and participate in public
policy debates can and do produce reports like the one requested in the Proposal. For example, Chevron makes comprehensive disclosure
of its direct and indirect lobbying, including all of its trade associations, the percentage of trade association dues used for lobbying,<SUP>1</SUP>
its policies for oversight of public policy advocacy and the government affairs function,<SUP>2</SUP> memberships in organizations that
write and promote model legislation,<SUP>3</SUP> and links to federal, state, and local lobbying disclosure websites that contain information
about Chevron&rsquo;s lobbying.<SUP>4</SUP> As shown by the number of politically active trade associations to which Chevron belongs,
as well as the volume of its own lobbying activity, Chevron&rsquo;s reporting does not seem to have inhibited its participation in public
policy debates.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">In opposing the Proposal, DTE touts its compliance
with federal, state and local rules around public policy advocacy. Such compliance does not provide the full information sought by the
Proposal.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">_____________________________</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>1</SUP> https://www.chevron.com/-/media/chevron/investors/documents/2022-trade-associations.pdf</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>2</SUP> https://www.chevron.com/-/media/chevron/investors/documents/2021-lobbying-and-trade-associations.pdf#page=10</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>3</SUP> https://www.chevron.com/sustainability/governance/lobbying-and-trade-associations#lobbying</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>4</SUP> https://www.chevron.com/-/media/chevron/investors/documents/2023-lobbying-and-trade-associations.pdf,
at 14-16.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

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<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">First, <B>DTE makes no disclosure regarding its
membership in, or contributions to, social welfare organizations and other groups that lobby</B>, much less the amounts those groups spend
on public policy advocacy, a key element of the Proposal. There is no law requiring disclosure of these kinds of contributions. Indirect
policy advocacy generates higher risks than direct lobbying because companies do not directly control or, at times, even know about, organizations&rsquo;
activities. Those activities may be inconsistent with companies&rsquo; expressed values, generate controversy, and harm the reputations
of funding companies.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">DTE is affiliated with several social welfare organizations
engaged in public policy advocacy. Michigan Energy First (&ldquo;MEF&rdquo;) does not disclose its funding sources, but as of 2020 it
was led by the DTE vice president of corporate and government affairs and three of its four directors in 2020 were current or former DTE
employees.<SUP>5</SUP> MEF provides all of the funding for the Clean and Sustainable Energy Fund (the &ldquo;CASE Fund&rdquo;)&mdash;whose
president is the same DTE executive who led MEF and three of whose five directors in 2020 were DTE employees. In 2020, the CASE Fund gave
the Livermore Lab Foundation, which raises money for the work of the Bay-area Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory a $250,000 grant
to create an &ldquo;outreach toolkit&rdquo; to educate residents of the San Joaquin Valley and Kern County, California about carbon capture
and storage (&ldquo;CCS&rdquo;).<SUP>6</SUP> Most supporters of decarbonization at the pace and scope needed to avoid the most severe
impacts of climate change view CCS as &ldquo;expensive, energy-intensive, and unproven at scale&rdquo; and as a way to &ldquo;entrench[]
reliance on fossil fuels.&rdquo;<SUP>7</SUP></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">MEF has also drawn scrutiny for indirectly seeking
to influence public policy in its home state of Michigan. MEF supported a DTE proposal before the Michigan Public Service Commission (&ldquo;MPSC&rdquo;)
in 2019 to pay customers with rooftop solar less for electricity they send back to the grid; at the same time, DTE was urging the MPSC
to approve a 9.1% rate increase.<SUP>8</SUP> Michigan&rsquo;s Energy Promise and Alliance for Michigan Power (&ldquo;AMP&rdquo;), organizations
founded by MEF<SUP>9</SUP> whose boards were controlled by DTE employees as of 2017, echoed the arguments MEF was making in support of
its MPSC proposal.<SUP>10</SUP> AMP also placed ads on Facebook making misleading claims about natural gas being a &ldquo;clean energy
solution.&rdquo;<SUP>11</SUP></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; color: #111111">&nbsp;<FONT STYLE="background-color: white">_____________________________</FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="color: #111111; background-color: white"><SUP>5</SUP></FONT>
https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2022-06-23/michigan-energy-firm-dark-money-california-climate-plans-boiling-point</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="color: #111111; background-color: white"><SUP>6</SUP></FONT>
https://www.latimes.com/environment/newsletter/2022-06-23/michigan-energy-firm-dark-money-california-climate-plans-boiling-point</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="color: #111111; background-color: white"><SUP>7</SUP></FONT>
<U>E.g.</U>, https://www.ciel.org/carbon-capture-and-storage-an-expensive-and-dangerous-proposition-for-louisiana-communities/; https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/20/climate-crisis-and-carbon-capture-why-some-are-worried-about-its-role.html;
https://ieefa.org/resources/carbon-capture-has-long-history-failure</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="color: #111111; background-color: white"><SUP>8</SUP></FONT>
https://energynews.us/2019/03/04/utility-linked-group-seeks-to-dismantle-net-metering-in-michigan/</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="color: #111111; background-color: white"><SUP>9</SUP></FONT>
https://www.energyandpolicy.org/alliance-for-michigan-power/</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="color: #111111; background-color: white"><SUP>10</SUP></FONT>
https://energynews.us/2019/03/04/utility-linked-group-seeks-to-dismantle-net-metering-in-michigan/; https://www.energyandpolicy.org/alliance-for-michigan-power/</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><FONT STYLE="color: #111111; background-color: white"><SUP>11</SUP></FONT>
https://www.energyandpolicy.org/utility-front-groups-spending-on-disinformation-advertising</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center; background-color: white">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center; background-color: white">We are not asking for
authority to vote your proxy and no proxy cards will be accepted. Please vote your proxy according to the instructions in DTE&rsquo;s
proxy statement.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

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<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in; color: #111111"><FONT STYLE="background-color: white">In
addition to its advocacy on issues related to DTE&rsquo;s core business, MEF has contributed to several conservative organizations, including
Michigan Freedom Fund--which promotes &ldquo;right to work&rdquo; laws and concealed carry of firearms<SUP>12</SUP>--Michigan Conservative
Values, and Conservative Leadership &amp; Values Coalition.<SUP>13</SUP> MEF also donated to Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility,
the biggest funder of Unlock Michigan, a group that campaigned to repeal the legislation giving Michigan&rsquo;s governor emergency powers,
which she used during the COVID-19 pandemic; her efforts enjoyed support from 60% of Michigan residents during 2020.<SUP>14</SUP></FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">Lack of transparency creates risks for companies
involved in public policy advocacy. In 2019, the MPSC barred another Michigan utility, Consumers Energy, from funding any social welfare
organizations for 18 months, after it gave Citizens for Energizing Michigan&rsquo;s Economy $20 million for issue advocacy.<SUP>15</SUP>
<FONT STYLE="color: #111111; background-color: white">According to the MPSC&rsquo;s Chair, the commission &ldquo;share[d] the concerns
of other stakeholders about the amount and use of these funds by the regulated utility.&rdquo;<SUP>16</SUP> Recently, Michigan&rsquo;s
attorney general asked the MPSC to require more disclosure from utilities about their efforts to influence public opinion around rate
increase requests and about their contributions to non-profit organizations.<SUP>17</SUP></FONT></P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">As well, <B>DTE provides no disclosure about its
direct state and local public policy advocacy</B>. Although DTE&rsquo;s service area is in Michigan,<SUP>18</SUP> its effort to shape
public opinion in California regarding CCS raises the possibility that DTE is attempting to influence public policy outside of Michigan.
As well, DTE may seek to influence public policy set by municipalities, few of which require lobbying disclosure that can be accessed
by the public. Moreover, a shareholder would need to know in which states and cities DTE had lobbied, which it does not report, in order
to identify relevant state and local disclosures.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">For the reasons discussed above, we urge you to
vote FOR Item #7 on DTE&rsquo;s proxy card. If you have any questions, please contact Renaye Manley via email at renaye.manley@seiu.org.</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-indent: 0.5in">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">_____________________________</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>12</SUP> https://michiganfreedomfund.com/priorities-3/</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>13</SUP> https://www.energyandpolicy.org/alliance-for-michigan-power/</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>14</SUP> https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/10/gretchen-whitmer-michigan-covid-policies-dark-money</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>15</SUP> https://energynews.us/2019/01/28/michigan-regulators-clamp-down-on-utilitys-political-spending/</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>16</SUP> https://energynews.us/2019/01/28/michigan-regulators-clamp-down-on-utilitys-political-spending/</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>17</SUP> https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/2023/02/15/attorney-general-dana-nessel-transparency-public-policy-lobbying-dark-money-dte-consumers-energy/69907942007/</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0"><SUP>18</SUP> https://www.dteenergy.com/us/en/residential/service-request/moving/service-area-map.html</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center; background-color: white">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0">&nbsp;</P>

<P STYLE="font: 10pt Times New Roman, Times, Serif; margin: 0pt 0; text-align: center; background-color: white">We are not asking for
authority to vote your proxy and no proxy cards will be accepted. Please vote your proxy according to the instructions in DTE&rsquo;s
proxy statement.</P>

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