Michigan GreenCurrents Plan to Build 100 MW Wind Farm

DTE Energy announced today it has signed a long-term agreement with Michigan-based renewable energy company Heritage Sustainable Energy, LLC to provide wind supply for the company's GreenCurrents renewable energy program. The 10-year agreement will enable Heritage to build a new 6,500-acre wind farm in Richland Twp., Michigan.

Introduced earlier this year, GreenCurrents offers DTE Energy's 2.2 million electric customers the option of choosing environmentally-friendly renewable energy for their homes and businesses.

The agreement with DTE Energy has allowed Heritage Sustainable Energy to begin construction of Stoney Corners Wind Farm, which will start up with two 2.5 megawatt (MW) Fuhrlander 2500 wind turbines. The facility is expected to be in operation as early as March 2008, with an ultimate capacity planned to be in excess of 100 MW.

Under the GreenCurrents program, DTE Energy's Detroit Edison electric customers can select an option to promote renewable energy while best fitting their budget. For as little as $2.50 extra a month, residential customers can purchase a block of renewable energy that's equal to 15-20 percent of a typical home's monthly electric usage. Customers also can choose to match 100 percent of their home's electricity consumption with renewable resources by paying an extra $10 to $15 per month for a typical household.

Business customers can purchase a 1,000 kilowatt hour block of green energy for an extra $20 a month - or match all of their electricity usage with renewable energy for an additional cost of two cents per kilowatt hour.

"Every customer who signs up for GreenCurrents will play a significant role in shaping the future of sustainable energy in Michigan," said Trevor F. Lauer, vice president of marketing for DTE Energy. "By increasing the development of renewable energy projects, our customers can help us meet the electricity demands of today without sacrificing the needs of future generations."

Lauer added that DTE Energy is working on agreements with two Michigan bioenergy developers and expects to finalize those contracts soon.