On July 9, 2020, DTE Energy received approval of its April 2020 Renewable Energy Plan (REP) from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). This is good news for DTE customers – when the approved projects are operational, they will increase the percentage of clean energy all customers receive to 15%. This is also a milestone for DTE as it enables the company to achieve the state’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard established as part of energy legislation passed at the end of 2016.
At present, DTE has 15 wind and 31 solar parks in its generation portfolio — enough clean energy to power 500,000 homes. Before the end of this year, DTE will add another three wind parks to its mix, including two of the largest wind parks in Michigan.
With the Commission’s nod to move forward with the REP, DTE will add two new solar and one additional wind park to its portfolio by 2022. Together, these projects will generate 353 megawatts of clean energy, annually offsetting 619,154 metric tons of C02e, equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from 134,000 cars.* The solar projects will account for 128 megawatts of this new clean generation, tripling DTE’s solar capacity.
“The Commission’s approval allows DTE to meet its commitment to clean, affordable renewable energy for our customers,” said Chuck Conlen, acting vice president, Renewable Energy, DTE Electric. “Bringing these new projects online will also help us meet our goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and support our state’s economy.”
To date, DTE’s investment in renewable energy has added $3 billion to Michigan’s economy and has created or sustained 4,000 jobs. The company is projecting significant growth in its renewable energy portfolio over the next few years and is investing an additional $2 billion in renewable energy assets.
The company is also expanding its MIGreenPower options for customers who want to increase their participation in renewable energy and reduce their carbon footprint. This program enables DTE to build or acquire additional renewable energy assets beyond those needed to meet the state’s mandate.
DTE’s MIGreenPower program has been very popular with residential, small business and commercial customers alike and is on track to be one of the largest voluntary renewable energy programs in the country. More than 14,000 residential customers are now MIGreenPower subscribers as are some of our state’s most well-known companies and institutions including General Motors, Ford Motor Company, the University of Michigan, and the Detroit Zoo. The program is flexible and doesn’t require residential customers to sign a contract or make a long-term commitment. Residential customers can enroll for as little as $2 more per month. To learn more about MIGreenPower, visit dteenergy.com/migreenpower.
DTE is proud of its leadership role in Michigan’s clean energy transformation and will continue to add clean energy resources to its portfolio while maintaining its focus on affordability and reliability for customers.
*Avoided emissions and equivalencies are based on the Environmental Protection Agency equivalencies calculator at https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator.
DTE Energy’s Pinnebog Wind Farm