Our concern for protecting the environment is a deeply-rooted value. From the dedication with which we operate our facilities, through the volunteer efforts of our Green Team, the grants of our DTE Energy Foundation, and our many partnerships, we are working to protect and enhance our natural environment.
Voluntary Outreach Programs
Our facilities operate in full compliance with all environmental regulations, and go above and beyond legal requirements where practical. As one of the largest landowners in the state of Michigan, much of our property remains in a natural state as a transition between our operations and the public. We manage this property to benefit wildlife and the surrounding communities. A few highlights:
- A member of the Wildlfe Habitat Council since 1995, we currently have 10 facilities certified as wildlife sites - seven of which are power plants.
- The Fermi 2 Power Plant, one of four facilities we own within the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, has a cooperative agreement with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, allowing the agency to manage habitat on 656 acres of plant property.
- In one of our many initiatives to support environmental and wildlife research, our Monroe Power Plant provided coal cinders for an award-winning lake sturgeon spawning habitat project in the Detroit River.
- Our concern for the environment also means we endeavor to protect Michigan's native species, while combating exotic or invasive species, such as zebra mussels, purple loosestrife and the emerald ash borer.
Avian Allies
Bald eagles, peregrine falcons and great blue herons are a few of our feathered friends that find a haven at DTE Energy facilities. We support many bird programs, including the annual Southeast Michigan Raptor Research Hawk Count, the Erie Shores Birding Association's annual Christmas Bird Count, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' annual January Bald Eagle count and the National Audubon Society's Great Backyard Bird Count. Butterfly gardens and meadows attract butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
We urge you to protect birds and reduce bird collisions by making and installing raptor silhouettes on your windows.
We're bat-friendly, too. Detroit Edison linemen, in a pilot program with the Organization for Bat Conservation, installed bat houses on selected utility poles to provide bat habitat and help reduce mosquito populations. We encourage our customers to install bat houses on dead trees, the south or southeast side of houses, garages or barns, or non-utility poles on their property.
The Green Fleet
Transportation is one of the major causes of pollution in America. Detroit Edison and MichCon are doing what we can to combat this issue by expanding the use of alternatively-fueled vehicles on the road in Michigan. We're putting more electric hybrids on the road, converting over 800 vehicles to a biodiesel blend, and continuing our support of research into hydrogen fuel.
Green Team
The DTE Energy Green Team is an enterprise-wide organization whose members include company employees, retirees, family members and friends who volunteer their time to work on environmental projects on company properties and in the communities we serve. We plant trees, install and monitor bird boxes, clean beaches and streams, and engage in many more activities that benefit wildlife and the community. The Green Team calendar lists environmental events throughout the state that are of interest to team members and the public.
Grant Programs
Our DTE Energy Foundation is "doubly green," providing environmental grants that help a teacher plant a butterfly garden in an outdoor classroom or enable a university to educate teachers about our valuable fresh water resources. Each year, we award a variety of grants - from mini-grants to teachers for environmental education programs to major grants like the Greenways Initiative that links communities through a network of trails. Visit our DTE Energy Foundation pages for more information on grant opportunities.
Plant a tree, then plant some more
For over a decade, we have been addressing global climate change through an aggressive tree planting program. We have planted more than 22 million trees in Michigan since 1995 in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Our Tree Planting Grants program has awarded nearly $450,000 to 95 Michigan communities since 1998. As a leading partner in the PowerTree Carbon Company LLC, we are engaged in hardwood reforestation projects in the lower Mississippi River valley. In addition, we sponsor an international effort to preserve tropical rainforests.
We not only plant new trees, we care for existing trees in a responsible manner. We follow national arborist standards in clearing utility lines. Since 1995 we have continuously earned the Tree Line USA Utility Award from the National Arbor Day Foundation
Recreation
Several DTE Energy facilities - Harbor Beach Power Plant, Marysville Power Plant, Delray Fishing Pier and Monroe Power Plant - provide seasonal free fishing access to local anglers. We are also a significant contributor to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which provides assistance to local governments and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to purchase lands for outdoor recreation and/or the protection of natural resources and open space.
Recycling
We recycle tons of materials each year, and we are a charter member of the U.S. EPA's WasteWise program - a voluntary program promoting waste reduction to benefit the bottom line and the environment.
Awards and Certifications
Don't take our word for it! DTE Energy's many awards and certifications, such as the Corporate Habitat of the Year Award and our system-wide ISO 14001 Certifications, testify to our environmental commitment.
News and Publications
Follow our other environmental activities by visiting our News Room.
Download our useful environmental publications.
