Blue Water Energy Center adds 1,150 MW of natural gas power to DTE operations

DTE Energy announced this week that it completed work on its Blue Water Energy Center, officially opening the 1,150 MW combined-cycle natural gas-fired power plant to commercial operation on Michigan’s east side.

Capable of supplying power to 850,000 homes after four years and nearly $1 billion of investment, DTE has painted the plant as its largest step to reducing carbon emissions. Despite being based on natural gas, the plant achieved this milestone by taking more of DTE’s attention away from coal. A pilot program proposed by DTE could also one day see Blue Water run on alternative fuels like hydrogen instead of natural gas, making it potentially even cleaner.

“Today marks an important milestone for DTE and Michigan’s energy future,” Jerry Norcia, chairman and CEO of DTE Energy, said. “This is a significant step in transforming the way we produce power in a way that is cleaner while also ensuring we’re generating reliable and affordable electricity for our customers 24/7. Natural gas significantly reduces carbon, sulfur dioxide, and nitrous oxide emissions; utilizes an affordable, easily transported, and abundant domestic supply; and is the perfect enabler of renewables as it can start up and shut down very quickly.”

Transitioning from coal to natural gas is one of the major, company-wide steps DTE is taking to reach a net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050. According to Norcia, when combined with expansions of renewables, investments in projects like Blue Water have helped DTE to achieve a 30 percent reduction in carbon emissions thus far.

DTE intends to double its renewable generation by 2025.