Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has accused the state's utility regulators of being too cozy with utility companies, accusing them of ignoring recommendations from administrative law judges who recommended lower rates. She also accused the three members of the Michigan Public Service Commission of being bought and paid for by the utilities DTE Energy and Consumers Energy. The commission, which approves natural gas and electric rate requests, also approved a $242.4 million increase on electric rates for DTE in February, and DTE is expected to file for another rate increase before the end of this month. DTE responded that Michigan's electric bills are below the national average and that recent investments have improved reliability. Nessel's comments were made during a news conference in Detroit about energy affordability. The state's utilities are considered regulated monopolies and Nessel believes they have been getting too high of a "return on equity" on capital investments in their rate cases, or the profit regulators allow them to make.