Consumers Energy and DTE Energy announced on Thursday, May 18, that Clean Energy Goal has been set to 50 percent by 2030.
Consumers Energy CEO Patti Poppe and DTE Energy Chairman and CEO Gerry Anderson said in a joint statement that they appreciate that both local and national sponsors “understand our commitment to carbon reduction and how Michigan’s energy plan puts the tools in place to achieve this goal in a thoughtful and affordable manner. Our two companies are overwhelmingly in favor of renewable energy and are focused on bringing additional energy efficiency opportunities to our customers.”
Both utilities will state how they plan on reaching these goals, in detail, over the next calendar year. Consumers Energy will have their plans in to the state by June 15, while DTE will submit theirs in March of 2019.
State utilities will be required to do so thanks to 2016 energy laws, Public Act 341 and Public Act 342. The new laws will expedite the review of utility rate cases, provide outlines of utilities ability to serve customer needs, increase renewable energy usage to 15 percent by 2021, make “green” energy more affordable with rebates and customer programs, support the reduction of energy waste overall, preserve electric choice and maintain metering options.
Consumers stated earlier this year, their plans to completely phase out electricity production via coal by 2040. “We believe that climate change is real and we can do our part by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, and we also believe it doesn’t have to cost more to do it,” said CEO Patti Poppe. “We believe we’re going to be on the right side of history on this issue.”
In 2017 DTE pledged a cut of carbon emissions by more than 80 percent by 2050 by phasing out coal, boosting wind and solar energy, and building a 1,100-megawatt natural gas plant.