Background on DTE Energy Integrated Resource Plan

Over the past months, various health, environmental, conservation and clean energy advocates have worked to raise awareness of the shortcomings of DTE Energy's integrated resource plan and mobilized customers to make their voices heard. Actions include information resources, blog posts and op-eds:

DTE Report Card

Power Up Michigan published a “report card” to help people understand how DTE’s plan will directly impact them. View the report card at www.powerupmi.org.

Public comment campaign

Work For Me DTE and Michigan League of Conservation Voters’ DTE Can Do Better website encouraged customers to submit comments to the Michigan Public Service Commission.

Guest columns and op-eds

Experts from a broad range of energy, business and environmental groups authored pieces published in media across the state, including: 

• Commentary: Utility planning must keep pace with rapid changes in energy sector by Laura Sherman, president of Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council (Energy News Network)
• Column: Coal ash still a threat to the Great Lakes by Sean McBrearty of Clean Water Action (Oakland Press)
• Opinion: DTE’s energy plan too flawed for approval by Charlotte Jameson of the Michigan Environmental Council (Detroit News)
• Opinion: DTE’s plans for gas plant pose climate risk by Gail Philbin, director of the Sierra Club and Fred Miller, retired attorney and activist with the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign (Bridge Magazine)

Blog posts

Experts from a broad range of energy, business and environmental groups provided an analysis of DTE’s energy plan through the following: 

• Michigan Should Reject DTE’s Integrated Resource Plan, Here’s Why by James Gignac, lead midwest energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists
• Is this Michigan Utility’s Resource Plan the Worst Ever? by Joseph Daniel, senior energy analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists
• The Long List of Issues with DTE's Long-Term Energy Plan by Ariana Gonzalez, senior energy policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council
• DTE IRP: Find Out What It Means to MI by Ariana Gonzalez, senior energy policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council
• DTE Energy’s Long-Range Plan Fails Michigan Ratepayers by Amy Bandyk, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Michigan
• DTE Energy’s Long-Term Plan Fails to Embrace the Advanced Energy Economy by the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council

Relevant news

• Utility Dive: DTE resource plan ignores dynamic modeling, undervalues solar, stakeholders complain
• Michigan Advance: Enviros give DTE Energy failing grade on clean energy
• PV-Magazine: DTE long-term plan would add only 11 MW of solar by 2025
• Energy News Network: Praise, pushback for Michigan utilities’ divergent carbon-reduction plans

Social media

• YouTube video: State reps on DTE IRP
• Facebook video: Michigan League of Conservation Voters