DETROIT, Oct. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy today
announced its Lapeer solar park, located in Lapeer, Mich., is now operational and
producing enough clean energy to power 11,000 homes. The
200,000-panel array sits on more than 250 acres and is one of the
largest utility-owned solar parks east of the Mississippi River.
DTE broke ground on the project in the spring of 2016.
"DTE is committed to providing our 2.2 million customers with
energy that is reliable, affordable and cleaner," said Irene Dimitry, vice president of business
planning and development for DTE Energy. "DTE plans to reduce
carbon emissions by more than 80 percent by 2050 in a way that
works for Michigan's economy,
homeowners and businesses. We will achieve these reductions by
incorporating substantially more renewable energy into our diverse
energy mix while also transitioning our 24/7 power sources from
coal to natural gas, continuing to operate our zero-emission Fermi
2 nuclear power plant, and improving options for customers to save
energy and reduce bills."
Solar energy now makes up 7 percent of DTE's renewable energy
portfolio and brings the company's investment in solar energy to
$170 million since 2008 – the most of
any company in Michigan. DTE
currently powers 450,000 homes from 1,000 megawatts of renewable
energy.
"The Lapeer project has been
extremely positive for our residents," said Lapeer Mayor William
Sprague. "It has called attention to Lapeer not only throughout the state but
nationwide. I have received many calls from others in government
regarding the project's benefits and what they can do to attract
solar projects to their communities."
DTE's renewable energy portfolio also includes one of the
largest urban solar arrays in the Midwest – its O'Shea solar park
in Detroit. The O'Shea project is
the result of a unique public-private partnership between DTE and
the City of Detroit in which DTE
redeveloped nearly 10 acres of previously vacant land, helping to
revitalize the surrounding neighborhood.
Since 2008, DTE has spearheaded more than $2 billion of investment in wind and solar
resources. As Michigan's largest
producer of renewable energy, DTE has 13 wind parks and 31 solar
arrays in its renewable energy portfolio. More than 10 percent of
the energy DTE uses to supply electricity to customers comes from
these renewable energy resources.
About DTE Energy
DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) is a
Detroit-based diversified energy
company involved in the development and management of
energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating
units include an electric utility serving 2.2 million customers in
Southeastern Michigan and a
natural gas utility serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes
non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial
projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy
marketing and trading. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE
Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan
communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy,
volunteerism and economic progress. Information about DTE Energy is
available at dteenergy.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and
facebook.com/dteenergy.
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SOURCE DTE Energy