DTE Energy renewable facilities receive ISO 14001 certification

DETROIT, Aug. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy's renewable energy facilities have become even greener, after receiving ISO 14001 certification for enhancing their environmental management systems.  

The company's six fully-owned wind parks and 20 solar energy projects joined 35 other DTE Energy facilities that have earned the international certification. 

ISO 14001 certification promotes sustainability by providing a framework for managing environmental impacts and continuously improving its systems at industrial or commercial facilities.  The standard is effective because it involves every aspect of a facility's activities that can affect the environment.  Periodic reviews of the system by a third party after certification ensure that the system continues to be effective.

"DTE's renewable facilities have had effective environmental management systems in place, however, the ISO certification validates that what we're doing is right.  It provides the framework to improve our systems, mitigate issues that could arise, and meet, if not exceed, regulatory compliance," said Irene Dimitry, DTE Energy's vice president of Business & Development.       

Dimitry said DTE has built a solid ISO 14001 infrastructure since the Trenton Channel Power Plant earned the company's first certification in 2001. 

"We are now applying nearly 15 years of experience with our electric, natural gas and nuclear plants to the operations of our renewable facilities," she said.

Dimitry added that earning certification was truly a team effort that demonstrates employee commitment to environmental sustainability.      

The certified facilities include the Brookfield, McKinley, Echo, Sigel and Minden wind parks in the Thumb area as well as the Gratiot Wind Park in Gratiot County. 

The solar energy projects are located across Southeastern Michigan and include projects at Ford Motor Co. headquarters in Dearborn and Monroe County Community College in Monroe. A number of new solar energy projects are in development and the ISO 14001 standard will apply to those as they are built and begin operation before the end of the year.

The renewable projects are helping the company meet a state-legislated mandate requiring electric utilities to supply 10 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2015. 

DTE Energy's renewable energy portfolio is capable of generating nearly 1,000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 400,000 homes. The portfolio includes facilities owned and operated by DTE Energy, along with contracts to purchase power from facilities owned and operated by third-party developers.  

About DTE Energy

DTE Energy DTE is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. Information about DTE Energy is available at dteenergy.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.

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SOURCE DTE Energy