Michigan Commission Approves DTE Electric’s Revised Long-Term Resource Plan

The Michigan Public Service Commission on April 15 approved DTE Electric Co.’s revised integrated resource plan, which incorporates changes to address the shortcomings that the agency identified in the original plan. The company revised the rate impact analysis to reflect the selection of a single pathway instead of four possible scenarios and removed unapproved supply-side resources for capacity needs over the 15-year planning horizon. The new plan applies higher energy waste reduction targets and removes all demand response pilots except two of the company’s ongoing programs approved of by the commission.

DTE Electric agreed to conduct further analysis of its proposed retirement of the Belle River coal power plant in 2029-2030 in response to the commission’s finding that the analysis failed to consider the new environmental upgrade costs and hence inadequately justified. The new IRP selects energy waste reduction levels of 1.75 percent in 2020, and 2 percent in 2021, assuming DTE Electric receives a final order in its upcoming revised waste reduction plan before Jan. 1, 2021. The revisions also include the reporting requirements proposed by the commission staff, particularly an annual report, beginning in 2021 along with a narrative that explains adjustments to the timing, scope, status, or costs associated with expense approvals for the first three years of the plan.

The Commission did not approve new supply-side renewable resources and instead directed DTE Electric to present them in its ongoing renewable energy plan case, including competitive bidding information on the proposals. DTE Electric Company filed a revised renewable energy plan on March 31, proposing a 225-megawatt wind farm and two solar power purchase contracts of about 125 megawatts. The generation capacity, to be added over the next two years, would enable compliance with the 15 percent of the renewable portfolio standard.

The company will file its next IRP by Sept. 21, 2023, two years earlier than required by statute.

DTE Electric is a subsidiary of DTE Energy Company