Across the country, and here in Michigan, power companies – like DTE Energy – are retiring old coal-fired power plants for cleaner, more efficient, and newer sources of energy like wind, solar, and natural gas. And while this transformation will result in a cleaner and healthier environment for the communities DTE serves, our company must not lose sight of affordability and reliability. DTE is doing everything in its power to keep customers’ energy bills as low as possible while keeping their lights on through a modern electric grid that is reliable.
And while no plan is perfect, DTE’s new CleanVision Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) was developed to strike the right balance between reliability and affordability, while finding significant cost savings for the company’s 2.3 million customers. The new CleanVision plan projects $1.4 billion in new, future savings for DTE Electric customers.
Other benefits from DTE’s CleanVision plan include:
- Generating reliable electricity through a balanced and diverse mix of cleaner energy.
- Surpassing previously announced carbon emission (CO2) reduction goals by targeting 65% in 2028, 85% in 2035, 90% by 2040 and net zero by 2050.
- Developing more than 15,000 MW of wind and solar energy to power customers’ homes and businesses. This renewable energy generation is equivalent to the electricity needed to power approximately 4 million homes.
- Repurposing the existing Belle River power plant to run on natural gas instead of coal, which will significantly reduce emissions while providing energy as needed to meet periods of high customer demand. This will also support electric reliability and affordability.
- Starting the phased retirement approach of the Monroe Power Plant with two units retiring in 2028, nearly 12 years ahead of plan. The last two units will retire in 2035, nearly five years earlier than planned.
- Investing $9 billion into Michigan’s economy over the next 10 years and supporting more than 25,000 jobs.
This is an exciting time for DTE and its customers as the company accelerates its clean energy journey. You can learn more about DTE’s CleanVision plan by visiting www.dtecleanenergy.com.