DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program, a voluntary renewable energy program, has surpassed 50,000 residential subscribers.
With approximately 500 new residential customers joining each week and demand from some of the state’s largest corporations and non-profit organizations, the program is driving the addition of thousands of megawatts of new clean energy to the grid.
“Our customers are demanding a Grid of the Future, a modern new grid delivering clean and reliable energy, and we’re delivering it,” says Jerry Norcia, president and CEO of DTE Energy.
MIGreenPower enables customers to reduce their carbon footprint by attributing more of their electricity use to local wind and solar projects beyond the 15% DTE already provides. On an annual basis, MIGreenPower customers have enrolled 1.9 million MWh of clean energy in the program.
DTE’s MIGreenPower clean energy projects are being developed in addition to the projects DTE has added to meet the state’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS). In 2021, DTE achieved the state’s 15% RPS – and then increased its renewable energy capacity by 40% as a direct result of the growth of the MIGreenPower program.
To meet continued customer demand, DTE plans to add several new MIGreenPower solar projects ranging from a 20 MWarray in Washtenaw County to projects exceeding 100 MW in rural communities in Michigan. The company is issuing a Request for Proposal for 500 MW of new MIGreenPower wind and/or solar projects to come online in 2023. The company also has other new solar projects in various stages of development that are scheduled to come online by 2025.
In its February 2022 Report on the Implementation and Cost-Effectiveness of the P.A. 295 Renewable Energy Standard, the Michigan Public Service Commission credits voluntary renewable energy programs like MIGreenPower with becoming “a major driver of new renewable energy growth in Michigan.” The report also cites an increase in the number of customers taking advantage of their utilities’ voluntary programs to purchase more clean energy.
MIGreenPower provides DTE’s electric customers with an easy and affordable way to reduce their home’s electricity-based carbon footprint for far less than it costs to install a private generation system. Private rooftop solar systems, for example, can cost upwards of $30,000. With MIGreenPower, residential and small business customers can subscribe for as little as $1 per month, customize their participation level and unsubscribe at any time without penalties.
“We want to thank all our MIGreenPower customers for their participation in this program and for helping to create a cleaner, greener Michigan,” states Trevor Lauer, president and COO of DTE’s electric company. “At DTE, we are committed to getting as clean as we can as fast as we can. Adding large-scale clean energy projects allows us to bring more clean energy to the grid to more people. It’s also less expensive, and more equitable and impactful in terms of carbon emissions avoidance.”
DTE’s 50-plus wind parks and solar farms generate enough clean energy to power nearly 700,000 Michigan homes. By 2025, the company will generate enough clean energy to power more than one million homes.
