DTE Energy, Michigan’s largest producer of renewable energy, will also become a leader in battery storage as it converts a portion of its retired Trenton Channel coal power plant site to house a 220-megawatt battery energy storage center.
When complete in 2026, the energy storage center is expected to be the largest standalone battery energy storage project in the Great Lakes region.
The new Trenton Channel Energy Center will support DTE’s transformational CleanVision Integrated Resource Plan and Michigan’s new statewide energy storage target, both of which align with DTE’s net zero carbon reduction goals. The facility will store electricity during times of excess generation and distribute the power to customers when they need it. This will reduce strain on the grid, decrease the need to start and stop generation as demand fluctuates, and augment DTE’s growing fleet of renewable generation – all of which benefit DTE customers.
“Today, roughly one-third of all electricity generated by DTE comes from carbon-free resources,” said Jerry Norcia, chairman and chief executive officer, DTE Energy. “Our world-class solar, wind, and nuclear generation facilities are delivering reliable and clean electricity to our customers, and the Trenton Channel Energy Center is a significant milestone in accelerating our clean energy journey.”
The cost of the Trenton Channel site’s transformation is significantly offset by $140 million in tax incentives through the 2022 federal Inflation Reduction Act and its infrastructure investment provisions. These incentives are helping make this bold new step toward a cleaner energy future possible for all Michiganders.
The center will have the capacity to store 220 megawatts (or 880 megawatt hours) of electricity, enough to power nearly 40,000 homes. It also represents a major step toward DTE’s goal to more than double its total energy storage capacity by 2042 and brings the State of Michigan significantly closer to its own goals for clean energy, as outlined in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate plan.
“DTE’s new Trenton Channel Energy Center will help us strengthen our grid and produce more clean power when it’s less costly and store it for later when we need it,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “DTE got this done with support from the Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, further shoring up their position as Michigan’s top producer of renewable energy. Thanks to projects like today’s, strong federal leadership, and the Michigan Legislature’s clean energy and jobs package I signed into law last year, our future is bright. We will make more American energy using American workers, lower household energy costs, create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, and protect our air, land, and lakes. Let’s get it done.”
DTE retired its Trenton Channel coal power plant in 2022 as part of its plan to reach net zero carbon emissions. For nearly 100 years, the power plant served southeast Michigan residents, addressing the growth of Michigan’s post-World War I & II economies.
“The City is thrilled to see DTE utilize its existing site here in Trenton to create an essential new element of its infrastructure,” said Trenton Mayor Steven Rzeppa. “The Trenton plant was a fixture in our community for a century, and it’s encouraging to see DTE’s commitment to the site and the community, employing new technology here in a way that benefits DTE’s more than two million electric customers as well as the City of Trenton and its residents.”
The site’s transformation reinforces DTE’s commitment to bringing more Michigan-made renewable energy online, while continuing to support the Trenton community. This new project will bring additional tax revenue to the Trenton community that can be used to help fund projects including roads, schools, police and fire initiatives and more.
While it is DTE’s largest energy storage initiative, it is one of multiple in development. Collectively, all of DTE’s energy storage projects will help enable the company to deliver clean energy efficiently to 2.3 million customers across Southeast Michigan when they need it.
