DTE Electric Company (formerly The Detroit Edison Company) is an investor-owned electric utility founded in 1886 in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
,
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. As the largest
electric utility
An electric utility, or a power company, is a company in the electric power industry (often a public utility) that engages in electricity generation and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. Electric utilities are ...
in Michigan, it serves approximately 2.3 million customers in the southeastern portion of the state.
As of 2022, 68.58% of DTE's electricity generation came from
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal i ...
,
gas, and oil sources, exceeding the regional average of 65.82%. The utility's emissions of major pollutants, including
Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalent bond, covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in a gas state at room temperature and at norma ...
,
Sulfur Dioxide
Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell that is responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is r ...
, and
Nitrogen Oxides, also surpass regional averages, though its
High-Level Nuclear Waste output is comparatively lower.
DTE Electric provides service to most of Southeast Michigan, parts of the
Michigan thumb region and portions of Western Michigan
The company maintains one of the largest electric distribution networks in the Midwest, with over 44,000 miles of power lines.
History

Detroit Edison was part of a large holding company called
North American Edison Company. North American's stock had once been one of the twelve component stocks of the May 1896 original
Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States.
The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity indice ...
.
[Jeremy J. Siegel, '']Stocks for the Long Run
''Stocks for the Long Run'' is a book on investing by Jeremy Siegel. Its first edition was released in 1994, and its most recent, the sixth, was so on October 4, 2022. According to Pablo Galarza of ''Money'', "His 1994 book ''Stocks for the Long ...
'', McGraw-Hill, Second Edition, 1998, North American Company was broken up by the
Securities and Exchange Commission
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street crash of 1929. Its primary purpose is to enforce laws against market m ...
, following the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
decision of April 1, 1946.
[ FindLaw.com]
After that, Detroit Edison operated independently, and publicly traded on the
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...
under the ticker symbol DTE through the mid-1990s. In early 1996, it became an operating subsidiary of the new holding company,
DTE Energy Company, which replaced Detroit Edison Company on the stock exchange, and took over the trading ticker symbol.
[Standard & Poor's Stock Guide, April 1996]
Power generation
Fossil Fuel Plants
Current operating DTE Energy's coal and natural gas power plants:
In 2016, DTE Energy announced the retirement of three coal-fired generating units among its plants by 2023. The plants are located in
River Rouge, St. Clair in
East China Township and
Trenton. In sum, the plants power around 900,000 homes. The ''
Detroit Free Press
The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...
'' wrote that employees at the closing plants will be able to transfer to other facilities and will not lose their jobs.
River Rouge Power Plant's retirement was expedited to 2021 with its last megawatt produced on May 31, 2021, and formally retired on June 4, 2021.
Trenton Channel Power Plant and
St. Clair Power Plant retired in 2022, replaced by renewable energy projects.
It was announced on December 8, 2022, that
Monroe Power Plant
The Monroe Power Plant is a coal-fired power plant located in Monroe, Michigan, on the western shore of Lake Erie. It is owned by the DTE Energy Electric Company, a subsidiary of DTE Energy. The plant was constructed in the early 1970s and began ...
will retire units 3 and 4 in 2028 and units 1 and 2 in 2032 (originally 2042). Belle River Power Plant will be repurposed to become a natural gas plant in 2026 (originally 2028). The Belle River gas conversion project is expected to extend the life of the plant by at least 13 more years.
The Greenwood Energy Center near
Avoca, Michigan serves as a
peaking power plant for the utility, generating over 815mW when at full capacity. A turbine replacement project in 2024 is expected to add another 25 years of useful life to the plant, with no current plans to retire the facility.
In 2018, the
Michigan Public Service Commission approved Blue Water Energy Center, a natural gas combined-cycle plan. This will replace three retiring coal plants, reducing carbon emissions by 70 percent, and provide power to 850,000 homes.
Blue Water Energy Center began commercial operation on June 6, 2022.
Nuclear
DTE currently operates one nuclear plant,
Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station, generating 21% of DTE Electric's power.
Two nuclear reactors were planned for the Greenwood Energy Center site near Avoca, but were never completed.
Renewable
Since 2009, DTE has driven investment of $2.8 billion in renewable energy assets, increasing to $4.8 billion by 2024.
Since April 2021, DTE Electric operates 18 wind and 31 solar parks, totaling 1,760 megawatts of clean energy, powering 670,000 homes.
Wind
DTE currently has 18 operational wind parks in their portfolio. As the state's largest investor in and producer of wind energy, DTE produces enough energy from renewable sources to power more than 500,000 homes.
Solar
DTE currently operates 31 solar parks in Michigan. In May 2016, the company broke ground on a
solar array project in
Lapeer, Michigan touted as the largest utility-owned solar array east of the Mississippi River. Lapeer Solar Park generates enough electricity to power 9,000 homes. DTE Energy also operates a 10-acre solar installation in Detroit on the site of the abandoned O'Shea Park.
Hydro
DTE and
Consumers Energy
Consumers Energy is an investor owned utility that provides natural gas and electricity to 6.7 million of Michigan's 10 million residents. It serves customers in all 68 of the state's Lower Peninsula counties. It is the primary subsidiary of C ...
co-own the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant on Lake Michigan in
Mason County, Michigan.
Landfill-based gas-to-energy operations
In May 2017, DTE Energy announced it had acquired "two landfill-based gas-to-energy operations" in Texas. The company wants to expand its operations to alternative vehicle fuel. The operations it acquired were the Fort Bend Power Producers, LLC facility outside of Rosenberg, Texas and the Seabreaze
landfill gas
Landfill gas is a mix of different gases created by the action of microorganisms within a landfill as they decompose organic waste, including for example, food waste and paper waste. Landfill gas is approximately forty to sixty percent methane, ...
development in Angleton, Texas, which has yet to be developed.
After these projects are operational, the company will have five "landfill conversion facilities which capture and convert dangerous landfill gases to pipeline-quality renewable natural gas". The gases will go to fueling transit buses.
Energy Storage
In 2024, DTE Energy announced that it was transforming the land formerly occupied by the
Trenton Channel Power Plant into a 220 MW battery energy storage center.
Electric cars
In July 2018, DTE Energy filed a proposal to invest $13 million into an
electric car
An electric car or electric vehicle (EV) is a passenger car, passenger automobile that is propelled by an electric motor, electric traction motor, using electrical energy as the primary source of propulsion. The term normally refers to a p ...
charging program. The program would upgrade transformers and also include service drops, materials, hardware, new meters and other costs. The program is called Charging Forward program and would also provide consumers rebates.
Energy transmission
As a condition of electric utility
deregulation
Deregulation is the process of removing or reducing state regulations, typically in the economic sphere. It is the repeal of governmental regulation of the economy. It became common in advanced industrial economies in the 1970s and 1980s, as a ...
in Michigan, DTE Energy was forced to sell off Detroit Edison's sister subsidiary involved in high-voltage energy transmission: International Transmission Co. (ITC).
Energy distribution
Detroit Edison's near 11-gigawatt generating capacity is offered to its service area, which encompasses 13 counties in the southeastern portion of the
lower peninsula. Energy is distributed via one million utility poles and of power lines in these Michigan counties: Huron, Tuscola, Sanilac, Saint Clair, Lapeer, Livingston, Ingham, Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, Washtenaw, Lenawee, and Monroe.
Detroit Edison's
distribution line voltages are
three-phase
Three-phase electric power (abbreviated 3ϕ) is a common type of alternating current (AC) used in electricity generation, Electric power transmission, transmission, and Electric power distribution, distribution. It is a type of polyphase system ...
4,800 volts (Delta) 4,800/8,320 volts (wye) and 7,620/13,200 volts (Wye) . All new distribution circuits constructed after 1959 are 13,200 volts. The 8,320 volt distribution lines are located in
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac ( ') is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Metro Detroit, Detroit metropolitan area, and is vari ...
in an area that was served by
Consumers Power Company until the mid-1980s when the area was acquired by Detroit Edison. Edison's subtransmission line voltages are 24,000 volts and 41,600 volts.
EES Coke Battery Facility
EES Coke, a subsidiary of DTE Energy, operates a
coke battery facility in River Rouge, Michigan. The facility, which produces metallurgical coke for steelmaking, has been a source of significant environmental and public health concerns in the
downriver Detroit area.
History and Operations
The facility was originally built in 1967 by
McLouth Steel and was acquired by DTE Energy in 2008. It processes coal into coke, which is used in
blast furnaces
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being supplied above atmospheric pressure.
In a ...
for steel production. The facility has a production capacity of approximately 1.1 million tons of coke annually.
Environmental Impact
The EES Coke facility has been a major source of air pollution in
Wayne County. Environmental monitoring has shown that the facility regularly emits:
*
Sulfur dioxide
Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless gas with a pungent smell that is responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is r ...
(SO2)
*
Particulate matter
Particulate matter (PM) or particulates are microscopic particles of solid or liquid matter suspended in the air. An ''aerosol'' is a mixture of particulates and air, as opposed to the particulate matter alone, though it is sometimes defin ...
*
Volatile organic compounds
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature. They are common and exist in a variety of settings and products, not limited to house mold, upholstered furniture, arts and crafts sup ...
(VOCs)
*
Benzene
Benzene is an Organic compound, organic chemical compound with the Chemical formula#Molecular formula, molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar hexagonal Ring (chemistry), ring with one hyd ...
and other
hazardous air pollutants
The EES Coke facility's operations have significantly affected nearby communities in
River Rouge,
Ecorse, and Southwest Detroit. These predominantly low-income and minority neighborhoods have experienced disproportionate environmental burden from industrial operations.
* Childhood asthma rates in the area are 3.5 times higher than the state average
* Emergency room visits for respiratory issues increased 56% between 2015-2022
* Local health surveys have documented elevated rates of chronic bronchitis, emphysema, and cardiovascular disease
Regulatory Issues and Violations
The facility has faced multiple regulatory actions and violations. In 2018, the
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) issued violations for exceeding permitted emission limits. A 2020 EPA investigation found multiple
Clean Air Act violations. In 2022, the facility was fined $1.8 million for air quality violations and required to install additional pollution controls
Public Health Studies
Several health studies have examined the facility's impact. A 2021
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
study found elevated levels of respiratory problems in neighborhoods near the facility. Cancer risk assessments by the EPA have identified elevated risks in the surrounding area. Local health departments have reported higher rates of asthma and other respiratory conditions in nearby communities
Future Plans and Mitigation Efforts
In response to regulatory pressure and community concerns, DTE Energy announced in 2023 a $150 million environmental upgrade project for the facility. However, environmental groups and community advocates continue to call for the facility's closure, arguing that the planned improvements are insufficient to protect public health.
DTE Rail Service Inc.
With the bankruptcy of the
Penn Central Transportation railroad in 1970, Detroit Edison sought to continue transporting coal from the
Monongahela mines in
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
to a brand new power plant in
Monroe, Michigan
Monroe is the largest city in Monroe County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The population was 20,462 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but the two are administered autonomously. M ...
. However, the bankruptcy of Penn Central left Detroit Edison short of motive power and under capacitated coal hoppers. Detroit Edison then chose to purchase brand new locomotives and coal cars to fit their needs. Purchasing
EMD SD40's and
GE U30C's for mainline motive power as well as High-Side Articulated Gondolas (with a capacity of 185,000 pounds), this new equipment allowed Detroit Edison to move more coal ''en masse'' than what Penn Central was able to do with their equipment. The trains were maintained by Detroit Edison officials but operated by Penn Central crews.
By the late 1980s or early 1990, Detroit Edison discontinued use of their equipment, as
Conrail
Conrail , formally the Consolidated Rail Corporation, was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeastern United States between 1976 and 1999. The trade name Conrail is a portmanteau based on the company's legal name. It continues to do busine ...
began to supply enough locomotives and rolling stock to meet the power company's needs.
Political Contributions and Lobbying Activities
DTE Energy maintains an active presence in political funding and lobbying activities at both state and federal levels. The company operates a
political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee (PAC) is a tax-exempt 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. The l ...
, DTE Energy PAC.
In Michigan state politics, DTE Energy maintains extensive political influence as one of the largest corporate political donors. As of 2022, 93% of Michigan legislators had accepted DTE Energy money during their careers. Between 2016 and 2020, the company and its affiliated donors contributed over $1.4 million to state-level candidates and committees.
Contributions included significant support for both
Republican and
Democratic leadership PACs in the state legislature. The company's political giving has particularly focused on legislative leadership and members of energy-related committees who have significant influence over utility policy. Notable recipients of DTE-linked contributions include:
* Governor Gretchen Whitmer: $235,900
* Senate President Pro Tempore Aric Nesbitt: $70,500
* Rep. Joe Bellino (House Energy Policy Committee Chair): $39,320
* Sen. Dale Zorn: $33,475
* Senate Democratic Leader Sam Singh: $30,200
Beyond direct campaign contributions, DTE operates through dark money groups to extend its political influence. In 2019, an investigation by the
Detroit News
''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on February ...
revealed that the company had channeled over $800,000 through nonprofit social welfare organizations to support specific ballot initiatives without direct disclosure.In 2012, DTE Energy spent approximately $11.6 million opposing Proposal 3, which would have mandated that 25% of Michigan's electricity come from renewable sources by 2025.
Michigan Energy First, run by DTE executives, contributed:
* $650,000 to Michigan Republican Party-linked funds
* $250,000 to Michigan Democratic Party-linked funds
* $100,000 to funds supporting Governor Whitmer
Protect Our Values, another DTE-connected group, emerged to support favored candidates in primary elections. The company has used these groups to spread information opposing pro-solar legislation and other clean energy initiatives
While publicly supporting carbon reduction goals, the company has faced criticism from environmental groups for lobbying against certain clean energy initiatives. According to lobbying disclosure records, the company spent $3.2 million between 2018-2022 on efforts related to renewable energy legislation, while simultaneously advocating for policies that environmental groups argue would slow the transition to renewable energy. The company's contributions to trade associations that oppose climate regulations, such as the
Edison Electric Institute, have drawn particular attention from climate advocacy organizations.
The company has also faced criticism for its involvement in local elections. In 2022, an investigation by
ProPublica
ProPublica (), legally Pro Publica, Inc., is a nonprofit investigative journalism organization based in New York City. ProPublica's investigations are conducted by its staff of full-time reporters, and the resulting stories are distributed to ne ...
highlighted DTE Energy's role in financing political action committees that targeted municipal elections where renewable energy initiatives were being considered.
DTE's political spending has had significant effects on energy policy in Michigan:
* Committee chairs who received substantial DTE contributions have blocked hearings on renewable energy legislation
* The company has successfully opposed efforts to remove Michigan's cap on distributed solar generation
* Critics argue DTE's influence has prevented meaningful legislative action on reliability issues despite chronic outages
Consumer advocacy groups have raised concerns about the relationship between DTE Energy's political spending and its rate increase requests. A 2023 report by the Michigan Consumer Protection Alliance suggested a correlation between the company's political contributions to state legislators and favorable outcomes in rate case decisions.
Environmental justice advocates note the company's support for politicians opposing expanded voting access in communities of color contrasts with its public equity commitments
In 2021, campaign finance watchdogs criticized DTE Energy's practice of making contributions to politicians who questioned the results of the
2020 presidential election. The company temporarily suspended some political contributions following the
January 6
Events Pre-1600
* 1066 – Following the death of Edward the Confessor on the previous day, the Witan meets to confirm Harold Godwinson as the new King of England; Harold is crowned the same day, sparking a succession crisis that will ...
Capitol riot but resumed them later that year, drawing criticism from governance experts.
Since 2018, DTE Energy has published an annual political contribution report detailing its political spending and lobbying activities. The company's board of directors maintains oversight of political activities through its Public Policy and Responsibility Committee. The company has faced scrutiny from shareholder advocacy groups regarding its political spending transparency. In 2022, a shareholder proposal requesting enhanced disclosure of political contributions received 43% support at the annual meeting.
Service Reliability and Infrastructure
DTE Energy has faced ongoing criticism for its service reliability, particularly in Southeast Michigan. The company consistently ranks below average among U.S. utilities for grid reliability metrics, including both the frequency and duration of power outages.
Between 2019-2023, DTE customers experienced an average of 5.3 power outages per year, significantly higher than the national average of 1.4 outages. The average outage duration for DTE customers was 9.2 hours, compared to the national average of 3.1 hours. In 2021, following widespread outages that affected over 500,000 customers, the
Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) launched an investigation into DTE's infrastructure maintenance and reliability programs. A 2022 audit commissioned by the MPSC found that:
* 58% of DTE's distribution poles were over 40 years old, exceeding their expected service life
* The company's tree-trimming program covered only 70% of recommended maintenance areas
* Preventive maintenance spending was 23% below industry benchmarks
Poor reliability has led to increased customer complaints and public criticism. In 2022, DTE faced multiple class-action lawsuits from customers seeking compensation for losses due to extended outages. Consumer advocacy groups have argued that the company's reliability issues disproportionately affect low-income communities and elderly residents. In 2023, DTE was ordered to pay $25 million in customer credits following extended outages, and the commission mandated a comprehensive infrastructure improvement plan.
In response to criticism and regulatory pressure, DTE announced a $7 billion grid modernization plan in 2023. The plan includes:
* Accelerated pole replacement program
* Enhanced tree trimming and vegetation management
* Installation of smart grid technology
* Underground cable replacement in high-outage areas
However, critics have questioned whether the improvements will adequately address systemic reliability issues, particularly as
climate change
Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...
increases the frequency of severe weather events.
Notable Outage Events
In August 2023, severe storms led to what became DTE's second-largest outage event in company history, with more than 775,000 customers losing power. Some residents remained without electricity for up to eight days, prompting public outcry and investigations by state regulators.
February 2023 saw another major crisis when an ice storm left approximately 600,000 DTE customers without power. The extended restoration time, which exceeded seven days for some customers, led to particular criticism as temperatures remained below freezing.
In August 2021, successive storms resulted in more than 500,000 outages. The company's response drew criticism when it was revealed that some customers experienced up to five separate outages within a single month.
During a June 2021 heat wave, equipment failures at multiple substations led to rolling blackouts affecting 265,000 customers in the Metro Detroit area. The timing was particularly problematic as temperatures exceeded 95°F (35°C).
References
Detroit Edison Railroad Roster
Detroit Edison Railroad Information
External links
*
*{{HAER , survey=MI-25 , id=mi0195 , title=Detroit Edison Hart Substation, 11736 East Vernor, Detroit, MI , photos=22 , data=14 , cap=3
DTE Energy, *
Electric power companies of the United States
Energy in Michigan
Historic American Engineering Record in Michigan
Hydroelectric power companies of the United States
Nuclear power companies of the United States
Companies based in Detroit
Energy companies established in 1903
Non-renewable resource companies established in 1903
1903 establishments in Michigan
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