Michigan utility waiting on regulators
DTE Energy, the parent company of the Detroit Edison and MichCon utilities, is itching to make a $3 billion investment in Michigan renewable energy-mostly wind power-over the next several years. It has its eye on the western side of the state and has acquired easements on some 40,000 acres of land in Huron County for a potential wind farm. But DTE will not go ahead until state legislators agree on the details of a renewable energy mandate. A recent bill passed by the Democratically controlled House called for Michigan to generate 10% of its electricity from green sources, but a watered-down Republican Senate bill seeks only 7%. The legislative proposal was headed for conference committee last month, with no verdict likely until mid-August at the earliest. "We have wind power projects that are sort of on the drawing board," says DTE's Lorie Kessler. "But we're waiting to see what's going to happen with the legislation that's currently out there." John Deere Wind Energy's recently completed 52.8 MW Harvest Wind Farm is currently the state's only commercial project.