DTE Energy‘s Polaris Wind park, located in mid-Michigan’s Gratiot County, is operational, providing enough clean energy to power more than 64,000 homes. With 68 turbines generating 168 MW, Polaris Wind is now the largest operating wind facility in Michigan and the first of four new wind parks DTE will commission in 2020.
Polaris represents a significant step toward the company’s goal of reducing carbon emission by 50% by 2030.
“DTE is leading Michigan’s clean energy transformation,” said Trevor F. Lauer, president and COO, DTE Electric. “Bringing projects like Polaris Wind online provide tremendous benefits for our customers, the environment and the state of Michigan. We are committed to continued growth of our renewable energy portfolio, including wind and solar, as we work to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
Since 2009, DTE has driven investments of $3 billion in renewable energy infrastructure, and the company will invest an additional $2 billion in wind and solar assets over the next five years.
DTE wind projects provide more than clean energy for DTE customers — they also provide a stable source of income for landowners who have turbines on their property; jobs that help young people stay in the community; and tax revenue that can be used to support improvements in roads, schools, emergency services and other vital community needs. Greater Gratiot Development reports that between 2012-2018, the county received nearly $43 million in tax revenue from its wind parks.
“Wind development has unquestionably brought increased economic prosperity to Gratiot County,” said Jim Wheeler, president, Greater Gratiot Development. “In addition to tax revenue that benefits the county, townships and schools, investment from wind development was used to leverage a grant for infrastructure in the Breckenridge Industrial Park, which now houses five companies and over 100 jobs. The area economy also benefits from increased consumer spending at restaurants and retail shops by temporary construction workers and permanent maintenance technicians, in addition to increased spending from local landowners who receive lease payments. Overall, wind development has offered Gratiot County a renewed drive toward the future with new opportunities for its citizens.”
Including Polaris, DTE has over 1,300 MW of renewables online, with a portfolio of 15 wind facilities and 31 solar arrays, all located in Michigan.
News item from DTE Energy
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