DTE holds Ceremony for Controversial Nearly One Billion Dollar Gas Plant in East China Township

DETROIT, MI - Today, DTE symbolically breaks ground on their controversial nearly one billion dollar gas plant in East China Township. Though construction does not formally begin until 2019, DTE chose to hold a celebration on the day that opponents will be filing their opening briefs for the appeal of the Michigan Public Service Commission’s decision to approve the plant.

Sierra Club, represented by Earthjustice; Natural Resources Defense Council; and Michigan Environmental Council, along with other clean energy advocates, will argue to the court that the Commission’s decision was unlawful and unreasonable. The Commission’s decision pre-approved DTE to saddle ratepayers with the cost of the $951 million plant even though analysis showed the company’s  plan was flawed and better, more cost-effective alternatives existed.

In response, Regina Strong, Director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign in Michigan:

“Unfortunately, no amount of feedback from residents, customers, or energy experts was going to deter DTE from breaking ground on their expensive, customer bill crushing, one billion dollar fracked gas plant. The fact that the new plant will be located in the same area that continues to suffer from the pollution from both the Belle River and St. Clair coal-burning power plants, did not stop DTE from moving forward. Not even the fact that Consumers Energy determined investing in a fracked gas facilities was not the best option for replacing coal made a difference.  In fact, Consumers choose to instead increase their renewable energy portfolio to meet their customer’s energy demands.

However, we will not stop pushing back. All of us who united to fight this horrible gas plant will continue to urge DTE to realize that they are not looking out for the best interest of their customers, the communities they operate in or their shareholders. The fight continues.”

Ariana Gonzalez, Energy Policy Analyst with Natural Resources Defense Council:

“It’s unreasonable for DTE to ask their customers to pay for a billion-dollar gas plant when their proposal was filled with so many widely acknowledged flaws. During the case, our modeling showed that clean energy could affordably and reliably meet the needs of Michigan families and businesses. We continue to believe that and haven’t given up our efforts to reverse the approval of DTE’s gas plant.”

James Clift, Policy Director of the Michigan Environmental Council:

“Unfortunately, during the hearings on DTE’s proposal to build a new billion dollar gas plant what was lost was a focus on its customers. The law requires the Michigan Public Service Commission to approve the plant only if it is the “most reasonable and prudent” from the perspective of ratepayers. Now, DTE is asking for permission to raise the rates on the average residential customer by more than $350 a year over the next three years.  Options that would have relied on helping customer reduce energy use and used more renewable energy could have saved their customers more than $1.8 billion over the life of the plant. This decision must be appealed, as Michiganders deserve better.”