DTE Energy retiring multiple coal-fired units in Michigan

DTE Energy will retire eight coal-fired energy generating units at three sites in Michigan within the next seven years.

The retirements are part of DTE’s energy production transformation for Michigan.

Facilities set for retirement, between 2020 and 2023, include the River Rouge facility, the St Clair facility in East China Township and the Trenton facility. Combined, these three plants generated approximately 25% of the electricity produced by DTE in 2015 – enough to power 900 000 homes.

Earlier this year, DTE retired three coal generating units due to age and projected future costs. With today's announcement, the company will retire eleven of its 17 coal-fired units by 2023.

"The way DTE generates electricity will change as much in the next ten years as any other period in our history. We will replace eleven ageing coal-fired generating units at three facilities built in the 1950s and 1960s with a mix of newer, more modern and cleaner sources of energy generation such as wind, natural gas and solar," said DTE Energy Chairman and CEO Gerry Anderson. "DTE Energy will work with the state of Michigan on a plan that ensures electric reliability for our 2.2 million customers, places a premium on affordability, and is seamless for our employees and the communities that are home to these plants."

DTE is also working on legislation to ensure the state has adequate generating capacity as power plant closures continue in Michigan and across the broader region, as well as working with communities and employees affected by the retirements and will transition employees into new roles at other facilities.

Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/power/09062016/dte-energy-moving-away-from-coal-929/