EXHIBIT 5.1(a)


                         [DTE ENERGY COMPANY LETTERHEAD]





                                              November 29, 2001


DTE Energy Company
2000 2nd Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48226

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         Reference is made to the registration statement on Form S-3 (the
"Registration Statement") filed by DTE Energy Company, a Michigan corporation
(the "Company"), and DTE Energy Trust I, a Delaware business trust ("DTE Energy
Trust I"), and DTE Energy Trust II, a Delaware business trust ("DTE Energy Trust
II", and together with the DTE Trust I, the "DTE Energy Trusts"), with the
Securities and Exchange Commission for the purpose of registering under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), of up to $650,000,000
aggregate initial public offering price of (i)(a) shares of common stock,
without par value (the "Common Stock"), of the Company, (b) debt securities (the
"Debt Securities") of the Company, which may be convertible into shares of
Common Stock or exchangeable into other securities, (c) contracts to purchase
Common Stock (the "Purchase Contracts"), (d) units consisting of Purchase
Contracts and Debt Securities and/or trust preferred securities (the "Preferred
Securities") issued by a DTE Energy Trust, U.S. Treasury securities or other
securities (the "Units"), and (e) Preferred Securities of the DTE Energy Trusts
and (ii) the guarantees (the "Guarantees") of the Company with respect to the
Preferred Securities (the $650,000,000 aggregate initial offering price of
securities being in addition to $350,000,000 aggregate initial offering price of
securities previously registered on registration statement no. 333-58834).

         The Debt Securities will be issued under an Amended and Restated
Indenture dated as of April 9, 2001, as amended, supplemented or modified from
time to time, between the Company and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the
"Indenture").

         I, as Associate General Counsel of the Company, in conjunction with the
members of the Legal Department of the Company, have examined such certificates,
instruments and documents and reviewed such questions of law as I have
considered necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion.

         Based upon the foregoing examination and review, it is my opinion that:

         1. The Company is duly incorporated and validly existing as a
corporation under the laws of the State of Michigan.



November 29, 2001
DTE Energy Company
Page 2

         2. The issuance of shares of Common Stock has been duly authorized by
all requisite action (corporate or otherwise) of the Company, and when such
shares of Common Stock shall have been duly issued and delivered by the Company
against payment of the consideration therefor and in accordance with such
corporate action, such Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and
non-assessable.

         3. The issuance of the Purchase Contracts and Units has been duly
authorized by all requisite action (corporate or otherwise) of the Company, and
when such Purchase Contracts or Units, as the case may be, shall have been
issued and delivered in accordance with the terms and provisions thereof against
payment of the consideration therefor, the Purchase Contracts and/or Units will
be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.

         4. The issuance of Debt Securities has been duly authorized by all
requisite action (corporate or otherwise) by the Company, and when the
applicable supplemental indenture, supplementing the Indenture pursuant to which
the Debt Securities are to be issued, shall have been duly executed and
delivered, and the individual series of Debt Securities shall have been duly
executed, authenticated, issued and delivered against payment therefor, the Debt
Securities will be validly issued and legally binding obligations of the
Company.

         5. The issuance of the Guarantees has been duly authorized by all
requisite action (corporate or otherwise) of the Company, and when the
Guarantees shall have been duly executed and delivered by the parties thereto,
the Guarantees will be valid and legally binding obligations of the Company.

         I am qualified to practice law in the State of Michigan, and in
rendering this opinion, my examination of matters of law has been limited to,
and I express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdictions other than, the
laws of the State of Michigan and the Federal laws of the United States. Sidley
Austin Brown & Wood LLP may rely on this opinion as to matters of Michigan law
in rendering their opinion of even date herewith.

         I consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and to the reference to me under the caption "Legal
Matters" in the Prospectus, forming a part of the Registration Statement. In
giving such consent, I do not thereby admit that I am in the category of persons
whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

                                                Very truly yours,



                                                /s/ Thomas A. Hughes
                                                ------------------------
                                                 Thomas A. Hughes
                                                 Associate General Counsel