In anticipation of meeting new federal regulations for carbon dioxide emissions, DTE Electric has established a goal to:
Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electric generation by 20 percent below 2010 levels by 2020, and
Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electric generation by 40 percent below 2010 levels by 2030.
Our 2015 total emissions of carbon dioxide from electric generation were 17 percent below 2010, indicating we are well on our way to achieving the 2020 goal.
To address emissions of greenhouse gases, DTE Energy supports the development of a responsible regulatory approach that is transparent, flexible and equitable. We believe the approach should be structured in a way that achieves meaningful emission reductions, avoids excessive costs for customers and prevents significant negative impacts on the economy. The approach should also be structured in a way that allows for new technologies to develop and mature before the greatest reductions are required.
DTE actively participated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Michigan’s Agency for Energy, Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality, the Edison Electric Institute and other business and community stakeholder groups to shape final carbon performance standards, including the Clean Power Plan issued by EPA in 2015. Despite the Supreme Court’s stay of the Clean Power Plan in early 2016, DTE Energy will continue to retire aging coal plants and replace these with cleaner natural gas and renewable energy over the next decade.
Our aim is to encourage energy policies that result in the best possible outcome for the environment, our customers, shareholders and the communities we serve. Through a deliberate and paced approach, we can reduce emissions while minimizing the financial impact on our customers. As regional market-based solutions further evolve, and the costs of renewable energy resources continue to drop, the overall cost of cleaner generation is expected to decline.
We believe regulations can be established that achieve national environmental and economic goals, and coordinate with energy policy development in Michigan. Our goals align with the Michigan Governor’s focus on adaptable energy and environmental policy for the State of Michigan. Fundamental to the Governor’s focus on energy policy is that every decision is based on excellent reliability, an affordable price and a protected environment. DTE’s approach to managing our generation fleet will continue to be coordinated with these federal and state policies.
DTE Energy is already taking aggressive steps to reduce and offset greenhouse gas:
> We participate in research on new technologies to make carbon capture and geologic carbon storage practical for both new and existing fossil-fuel power plants.
> We participated in carbon trading markets to help establish and understand the complexities of market driven programs.
> We are developing wind and other renewable resources in Michigan.
> We are helping our customers reduce energy usage and lower their bills by becoming more energy efficient.
> We are national leaders in developing landfill gas capture systems and in converting small coal-fired power plants to run on biomass fuels.
> We received a license to operate and build a new nuclear energy facility at our existing Fermi 2 plant and we are pursuing an operating license renewal for our Fermi 2 nuclear power plant, which will extend operation from 2025 to 2045. We have not committed to building a new nuclear power plant, but nuclear power is the only proven technology for carbon-free baseload power generation.
> As a founding partner in EPA's Natural Gas STAR Methane Challenge program, DTE has committed to use best management practices to reduce methane emissions from our gas operations over the next five years.
Alternative Fuel Vehicles Reduce Fleet Emissions
Out of our company-wide fleet of vehicles at locations across Michigan, about 325 are fueled by compressed natural gas (CNG), or are electric or hybrid vehicles. This represents nearly 11 percent of DTE Energy vehicles. Our alternative fuel vehicles create less greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollution compared to conventional service trucks and cars. Additionally, in 2015, public usage of CNG from our 10 public fueling stations rose to over one million gallons of gasoline equivalent, with a resulting reduction of over six million pounds of CO2.