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At DTE Energy, we are dedicated to building a cleaner energy future for all our customers. Part of that commitment includes protecting the environment in which we work and live, and restoring land that once housed energy generation, natural gas operations, historic manufactured gas plants (MGPs), or other industrial uses. 
 
DTE focuses technical and regulatory expertise, and financial investment into remediation” of former energy generating properties, but maintains a keen forward looking focus on the redevelopment and reuse opportunities of each unique piece of land that once supported the energy needs of the communities in which we serve.  

Environmental cleanup of former energy related properties such as electrical generation sites, manufactured gas sites or natural gas properties represent a glimpse into the past of the areas they are located. Many of the electrical generation sites originated back in the early-1900s and provided nearly a century of electrical generation in some cases prior to being retired. MGP sites mostly originated in the late-1800’s before natural gas became widely available between 1940-1950. The MGP sites produced manufactured gas from coal to be used for lighting, cooking and heating in homes and businesses which fueled the progress and development of cities in Michigan.  The MGP sites were owned and operated by companies that eventually became a part of DTE Energy through a series of company acquisitions in the 1900’s.   

Since electrical generation and MGP sites were decommissioned, numerous environmental investigations have been completed in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) and its predecessors. In addition, each site involves various stakeholders which include the public, non-governmental organizations, municipalities, developers, other utilities/businesses, and decision makers 

DTE environmental cleanup sites are generally managed under the State of Michigan regulations and in strong collaboration with EGLE, as well as a broad group of stakeholders to identify cleanup goals, and future use opportunities for each siteDTE has responsible for 20 MGP sites along with various Non-MGP sites (i.e., electrical generation sites, natural gas properties, etc.)The number of Non-MGP sites are not as definitive as MGP sites since they only require cleanup if they are discovered to have environmental contamination, mainly due to spills or other causes.  

Environmental cleanups are reviewed by EGLE prior to obtaining approval for the sites, also known as a “closure. While DTE has worked collaboratively with EGLE (and its predecessors) on environmental cleanups throughout DTE’s history, “closure” of sites has not always been possible. However, in the mid-2010’s additional options were created by Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to allow sites to become closed. One option was to allow division of large sites into two or more segments to support cleanup based on site-specific needs or complexities.  This has helped for more significant environmental cleanups on the MGP. DTE expects to receive approximately 33 partial or complete closure approvals at the MGP sites and likely another 1-3 per year from non-MGP sites. As of August 2020, 20 partial or completed approvals have been received and the remaining closures are expected to be obtained in the next several years.  

See table below for a summary of all environmental cleanup sites that have achieved partial or complete closures since 2014. 

Many of the historic electrical generation sites and manufactured gas sites are located on major rivers and are part of the local redevelopment focus on public usable riverfront spaces. As DTE’s coal generation fleet continues to be retired and is replaced by natural gas and renewable energythe former coal generation sites are being decommissioned with foresight to best serve the communities into the future.  Remediation and closure have been achieved at over half of the former MGP locations, allowing the properties to be redeveloped for a variety of uses.  Each site cleanup is different and involves a stakeholder team that is unique to the cleanup, and where appropriate, re-use or redevelopment.  Some redevelopment highlights include properties along the Detroit River being cleaned up to allow redevelopment into City of Detroit parks, unique commercial and residential waterfront redevelopment opportunitiesand supporting the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy to expand the river walk to achieve the goal of a walkable riverfront in the City of Detroit. Other successful cleanup projects have supported redevelopment that include a Community College in Grand Rapids, anredevelopment in downtown Muskegon.  Future redevelopment and public use projects are being planned in the City of Ann Arbor that include integrating water front access in Downtown Ann Arbor with the regional Border-to Border Trail goals. 

DTE is committed to clean up these properties in a way that they can continue to be used productively in their current state, or support re-use, redevelopment, or other productive use in the local communities.  DTE follows an accounting process that ensures that the cost of cleanup is fully recognized, and those funds are set aside in a way to support cleanup.  DTE has a rigorous process that continuously evaluates whether the funds are sufficient to clean up the properties based on up to date information and adjust available funds throughout the year. 

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