DTE Energy
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric and Gas Utilities |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Anthony F. Earley, Jr. |
| Revenue | 19,228,000,000 United States dollar (2022)  |
| 1,748,000,000 United States dollar (2022) | |
| 1,083,000,000 United States dollar (2022) | |
Number of employees | 10,262[1] |
| Website | www.dteenergy.com |
DTE Energy Co. (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit, Michigan-based utility incorporated in 1995 involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide.
DTE Energy's largest operating subsidiaries are Detroit Edison, an investor-owned electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, and Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. (MichCon), a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan.
The name "DTE" is taken from the stock symbol for Detroit Edison, DTE. [1]
Renewable Energy and Alternative Propulsion
Biomass
In May 2008, DTE Biomass Energy agreed to buy the 50-MW E. J. Stoneman Generating Station in Cassville, Wisconsin, with plans to convert it to burn wood waste in 2009.[2]
PHEV and V2G
The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), an agency within the state’s Department of Labor & Economic Growth, has awarded a partnership of the University of Michigan, GM, and DTE Energy Company $5 million to study plug-in hybrid electric vehicles as a Michigan economic development catalyst, the near-term vehicle-utility interface, the mid/long-term vehicle utility interface, and the environmental and electric utility system impacts of PHEVs. The grants are part of the Low-Income and Energy Efficiency Fund, which provides energy bill assistance for low-income customers and promotes the efficient use of energy by all customer classes.[3] Compensation In May 2007, Forbes listed DTE Energy CEO Anthony F. Earley Jr. as receiving $4.84 million in total compensation for the latest fiscal year, with a four-year total compensation of $18.31 million. He ranked 19th on the list of CEOs in the Utilities industry, and 290th among all CEOs in the United States.[2]
Power portfolio
Out of its total 13,041 MW of electric generating capacity in 2005 (1.22% of the U.S. total), DTE Energy produces 61.3% from coal, 16.4% from natural gas, 11.7% from oil, 9.3% from nuclear, and 0.2% from biomass. DTE owns power plants in Alabama, California, Illinois, and Michigan; 95.5% of the company's generating capacity comes from power plants in Michigan.
Congressional campaign contributions
DTE Energy is one of the largest contributors to candidates for Congress. These contributions total $317,499 to the 110th US Congress (as of the third quarter), the largest of which has been to Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) for $21,500. Senator Levin, for his part, has been a strong supporter of the coal industry on energy bills.
Contributions like this from fossil fuel companies to members of Congress are often seen as a political barrier to pursuing clean energy.
More information on coal industry contributions to Congress can be found at FollowtheCoalMoney.org, a project sponsored by the nonpartisan, nonprofit Oil Change USA and Appalachian Voices.
Existing coal-fired power plants
DTE Energy had 22 coal-fired generating stations in 2005, with 7,998 MW of capacity. Here is a list of DTE's coal power plants with capacity over 100 MW:
| Plant Name | County | Year(S) Built | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe | Monroe | 1971-1974 | 3300 MW |
| St. Clair | St. Clair | 1953-1954, 1961-1969 | 1928 MW |
| Belle River | St. Clair | 1984-1985 | 1664 MW |
| Trenton Channel | Wayne | 1949-1950, 1968 | 776 MW |
| River Rouge | Wayne | 1957-1958 | 651 MW |
| Marysville | St Clair | 1943-1947 | 150 MW |
| Harbor Beach | Huron | 1968 | 121 MW |
In 2006, DTE's 7 major coal-fired power plants emitted 43.3 million tons of CO2 (0.7% of all U.S. CO2 emissions) and 214,000 tons of SO2 (1.4% of all U.S. SO2 emissions).
Credit Reporting Program
In August 2006, DTE began reporting payment information to the major credit bureaus on all of its 2.5 million customers without offering the ability to opt-out, making it one of the few utilities in the US to do so. Previously, only seriously delinquent accounts were reported.
Groups, such as the NAACP, protested this change, on the basis that such a policy would benefit those who have no problems paying their bills, but would hurt those who are the most vulnerable economically and most likely to miss a payment, such as the poor, elderly, and disabled. This, in effect, would hurt their credit rating, and further hamper their ability to advance in society.
In January 2007, DTE changed the policy to state that only payments 60 days or more overdue would be reported to the credit bureaus. The policy of credit reporting of all other information, without the ability for customers to opt-out, continues.
Home Protection Plus (HPP)
Through its Michcon department, DTE offers customers five different applicance protection plans covering parts (with some exclusions) and labour on major household appliances such as furnaces, boilers, water heaters, central air conditioner systems, laundry and kitchen equipment in exchange for a monthly fee. These are advertised on a separate website. DTE also uses outsourced call centres who solicit these plans by telephone directly to its customers, offering a negative option billing approach, whereby customers are offered the plans with a fifteen day review period before the plans come into effect, as well as an incentive to enroll on the phone. The plans are also advertised through separate mailings and inserts with bills. The HPP service is not regulated by the Michigan Public Service Commission.
See also
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