Renner Barsella, renner.barsella@sierraclub.org
China Township, MI. -- Today, DTE Energy announced it will stop burning coal at its Belle River Power Plant by 2028, two years earlier than previously planned, in response to the U.S. EPA’s Steam Effluent Limitation Guidelines rule. That rule requires coal-fired power plants to either clean up their toxic wastewater pollution or stop burning coal. The company also announced it will move up the filing of its next Integrated Resource Plan by one year, to the fall of 2022. Lastly, the company announced it will explore repowering the Belle River plant with fossil gas.
In response, Mike Berkowitz, Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign Representative in Michigan, released the following statement:
“We are encouraged that DTE sees the writing on the wall for dirty, expensive coal and is moving up retirement of their Belle River plant by two years. However, DTE should cease coal operation at this plant even sooner and replace that capacity with true renewable energy and storage instead of fossil gas, a false solution driving significant water and methane pollution.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.