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 Documents,
Tools and Resources
Detroit Edison Company
Meeting Customer Needs Through Green Power
The Detroit Edison Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of DTE Energy
Company, is one of the United States' largest electric utilities, serving
more than two million customers in Michigan. But Detroit Edison provides
services beyond those offered by a traditional electric utility. It has
evolved into a company that provides its customers with solutions to energy
needs through a broad range of products and energy-management services.
Detroit Edison, a charter Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP)
Energy Ally, has supported landfill gas recovery projects dating back
to the mid-1980s. Today, nine projects are under long-term power supply
contracts, with the potential to generate more than 50 megawatts of electricity.
In 1997 alone, Detroit Edison purchased more than 280,000 megawatt hours
from landfill gas-to-energy projects — enough energy to serve more
than 35,000 homes. By developing landfill gas recovery facilities, they
are helping to reduce emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and
improve the local and global environment. As a result of its efforts to
promote landfill gas recovery and use, Detroit Edison received the 1998
LMOP Energy Ally of the Year award.
Many of Michigan's landfill gas utilization projects would not have
been possible without the proactive efforts of Detroit Edison. In 1989,
Detroit Edison collaborated with key Michigan legislators and regulators,
including the Michigan Public Service Commission, the Michigan Department
of Environmental Quality, and Michigan's elected officials, to develop
Michigan Public Act 2, a law that specifically encourages the use of resource
recovery facilities. By authorizing Michigan utilities to execute long-term
purchase agreements to buy electricity from new facilities, such as landfill
gas recovery projects, the law assures landfill gas-to-energy projects
will have long-term power sales revenue throughout Michigan.
In a time when deregulation means choices for consumers, Detroit Edison
is proactively responding to customer requests and environmental pressures
to find creative ways to produce green power.
Detroit Edison is also actively educating customers about their environmental
achievements, as well as the benefits of purchasing green power. "Use
of renewable energy resources such as electricity used by landfill gas
facilities is an ongoing goal of Detroit Edison," said Anthony F. Earley
Jr., Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of DTE Energy and
Detroit Edison. "With the proven technical and economic viability of landfill
operations, we can take advantage of this clean energy source to the benefit
of our customers and the environment." By facilitating the development
of landfill gas-to-energy projects, Detroit Edison has been able to partner
with city, county, and private landfill owners to address local environmental
problems in a mutually beneficial way. The landfill gas-to-energy projects
under Detroit Edison contracts offset the utility's fossil fuel use and
result in net carbon dioxide (CO2) reductions. Detroit Edison's 1997 power
purchases from landfill projects achieved net CO2 reductions of 114,000
tons, the equivalent of planting more than 270 million trees or removing
more than one million cars from the road.
Summary of Benefits
- Diverse Power Portfolio
- Utility and State
Working Together
- Environmental Savings
- Consumer Education
Lessons Learned
- Landfill gas-to-energy systems (LFTGE) are
as reliable, and sometimes even more reliable, than conventional power
plants, often meeting 96-99 percent on-line time, albeit on a smaller
scale. This information is helpful in load distribution planning or
in searching for end-use applications for the gas.
- LFGTE projects provide win-win benefits for
the community, landfill operator, developer, and utility by solving
gas migration problems, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and providing
a useful source of energy.
- Using landfill gas is an excellent way to
meet consumer demand for renewable energy sources.
- Supplying green power to customers has not
only helped Detroit Edison to retain customers, it has helped them to
attract new customers.
- Being a green power supplier has earned Detroit
Edison recognition as an industry and environmental leader.
What Is Landfill Gas?
Most of the waste we generate ends up in landfills,
where it decomposes and produces landfill gas. Landfill gas released
into the air smells bad, contributes to local smog, and is an explosion
hazard. Additionally, landfill gas is about 50 percent methane,
a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to global climate change.
However, this methane is also a reliable and renewable fuel source
that, if not collected, goes to waste. |
The Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP) is a voluntary program
that assists project developers, utilities, landfill owner/operators,
energy users, and communities to encourage new landfill gas-to-energy
projects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed a variety
of tools (e.g., profiles, fact sheets, project development manuals, software,
etc.) to facilitate the development of landfill gas-to-energy projects.
Hundreds of landfills across the country are good candidates for a landfill
gas-to-energy project. To find out more, please contact LMOP.
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