PVTIME – DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) announced on February 4 that it will add new renewable energy projects totaling approximately 500 megawatts due to the continued growth and popularity of its MIGreenPower voluntary renewable energy program. Supported by 35 industrial, 450 small business and more than 48,000 residential customers, MIGreenPower enables DTE Electric customers to attribute even more of their electricity use to renewable energy, beyond the 15% DTE already provides to all customers as part of their energy mix.
“We want to thank all of our MIGreenPower customers for their participation in the program,” said Trevor Lauer, president and chief operating officer of DTE’s electric company. “Over the next decade, we plan to continue adding clean energy projects and investing in new technologies to move our state closer to a carbon neutral future.”
As a result of MIGreenPower customer commitments, DTE is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for new wind and solar projects, both with and without energy storage. The projects must be ready to achieve commercial operation in 2023, located in Michigan, and interconnected to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) or distribution level transmission. Interested bidders should register their company information on the PowerAdvocate website and, once registered, can attend a pre-RFP conference being held on February 15, 2022. Bids are due April 29, 2022, and the company anticipates executing contracts this summer.
Among the largest voluntary programs in the country, MIGreenPower enrollment has doubled for each of the past three years and is having a direct impact on the number of new clean energy projects DTE is bringing online. MIGreenPower customers have already enrolled 1.8 million megawatt hours of clean energy in the program, avoiding 1.4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In 2021, DTE increased its clean energy generation by 40%, adding three new wind parks and one new solar park to source clean energy commitments from MIGreenPower customers. Additionally, the company received Michigan Public Service Commission approval to add new utility-scale and smaller community solar projects, including a 20-megawatt project in Ann Arbor.
Already Michigan’s largest producer of and investor in renewable energy, DTE currently has more than 50 wind and solar parks in its portfolio. These projects generate enough clean energy to power nearly 700,000 homes. By 2025, DTE will double its clean energy generation and invest an additional $3 billion in renewable energy infrastructure.
For more information on DTE’s MIGreenPower program, please visit www.migreenpower.com.