Between 2020 and 2023, the River Rouge facility, the St. Clair facility in East China Township, and the Trenton facility are all slated for closure. Together, they produced one-quarter of DTE’s total energy in 2015.
The announcement follows a previous one earlier this year closing three aging units, citing projected future costs; in all, by 2023, DTE will idle 11 of its 17 coal-fired units.
“We will replace 11 aging 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 Chairman and CEO Gerry Anderson, adding that the company is also working on legislation to ensure adequate generating capacity for Michigan as power plant closures continue. “This is important, given that 10% of Michigan’s power is supplied by marketers who depend upon excess supply from plants like those being retired.”
Renewables now make up 10% of the utility’s total sales.
