Jul 18, 2013

DETROIT - Students in three Huron County schools will have hands-on experience with professional meteorological equipment, thanks to a donation from DTE Energy.

The equipment was used by DTE Energy to measure various weather patterns and wind speeds in various locations of Huron County as the company prepared to build wind energy parks in the county.

Laker School and the Huron Area Technical Center have received anemometers (used to measure wind speed), wind vanes, temperature sensors, barometric pressure sensors, dataloggers (used with various sensors to record data), solar panels and instrument wire. Harbor Beach High School and a school in Kinde will receive additional equipment this fall.

"With the Thumb Wind Park operational and the Echo Wind Park under construction, we no longer had a use for the equipment," said Matt Wagner, DTE Energy manager, Wind Development. "But we thought our investment would be a fantastic addition to local science curriculums and asked schools if they were interested."

Huron County is the primary focus of DTE Energy's wind energy development as it prepares to meet the state's renewable energy goals. The company expects to provide about 10 percent of its power from renewable energy sources by 2015. Most of that electricity will come from wind resources.

For further information, members of the media may contact:

Scott Simons, DTE Energy, (313) 235-8808

Alejandro Bodipo-Memba, DTE Energy, (313) 235-3202

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