MI Utilities Steadfast O Coal Plans

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The Trump administration announced on Tuesday it’s loosening rules on emissions from coal-fired power plants, rolling back the requirements of President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan. The new rules would largely allow states to regulate emissions, and in Michigan, it’s unclear whether utilities or the Department of Environmental Quality would seek less stringent air-pollution controls for state’s 15 coal-fired power plants. Pete Ternes with DTE Energy tells us his company plans to close all of its coal plants by 2040 and is sticking with its plans to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions significantly.

“DTE Energy is still on track to reduce its carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050, and we’re also setting a goal of reducing our methane emissions from our natural gas utility operations by 80 percent by 2040,” Ternes said.

Consumers Energy has also announced plans to shutter all of its coal-fired plants by 2040, a decision it has said is primarily driven by the cost of upkeep on aging plants and the rising affordability of natural gas and renewable energy.