DTE to Retire Eight Coal-Fired Units at Three Plants

Michigan utility DTE Energy announced on June 8 that it would retire a total of eight aging coal-fired units at three of its plants by 2023.

The units slated for retirement are located at the 651-MW River Rouge plant, the 536-MW Trenton Channel plant (Figure), and the 1,547-MW St. Clair plant. All three are located in the Detroit metropolitan area. Collectively they represent about 25% of DTE’s installed capacity, the company noted in a statement. Trenton Channel is one of the oldest operating coal plants in the country, with portions of the site dating to the 1920s. The others began operating in the 1950s.

DTE is in the midst of a major transition in how it generates electricity. The company plans to pivot away from coal while boosting its gas, wind, and solar capacity. Only two of its current coal-fired plants, Monroe and Belle River, are slated to continue operating

“The way DTE generates electricity will change as much in the next 10 years as any other period in our history. 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 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 had previously retired three other coal units earlier this year.

—Thomas W. Overton, JD is a POWER associate editor (@thomas_overton, @POWERmagazine).