DTE Energy : opens new community and education center in Huron County

DETROIT - DTE Energy today opened its Discovery Center in Bad Axe, Mich., a 3,000 square-foot space available for use by local community groups and equipped with state-of-the-art multi-media capabilities and renewable energy education videos. The Discovery Center is attached to the Huron Renewable Energy Center, a formerly abandoned retail store that DTE renovated and opened in 2016.

'When we purchased this building in 2016, we wanted to create a place where students and local residents could learn about renewable energy, especially wind power, because Huron County leads the state of Michigan in wind energy development,' said Irene Dimitry, vice president of Business Planning and Development, DTE Energy. 'We are also making the space available for use by community organizations.'

The Discovery Center's educational videos focus on how renewable energy is contributing to Michigan's economy, why Michigan is particularly attractive for future wind park development, how renewable energy is supporting the state's clean energy future, and how wind parks work in tandem with farming. Other hands-on educational activities for students may be added in the future.

Congressman Paul Mitchell who represents Michigan's 10th district also spoke at today's celebration. 'It was exciting to be here today to help DTE celebrate the opening of its Discovery Center,' said Congressman Mitchell. 'The educational videos do an excellent job of describing the many ways Huron County is benefiting from wind energy. The increase in the number of renewable energy projects in Michigan not only strengthens our energy independence but it is also good for our economy.'

Other attendees included students from Essex School in Harbor Beach and Laker Elementary School in Elkton who were treated to a performance of 'Knowledge is Power,' a play about renewable energy that was commissioned by DTE.

'Wind will play an increasing important role in Michigan's clean energy future,' Dimitry continued. 'DTE's newest wind project in Huron County, Pinnebog Wind Park, was just commissioned at the end of December. Wind energy is the most cost-effective and efficient form of renewable energy. In Michigan, the cost of wind generation is now on par with natural gas generation even without the tax credits.'

The Discovery Center is located at DTE's Huron Renewable Energy Center at 1000 S Van Dyke Avenue in Bad Axe. For information on planning a tour or using the facility for community events, please call Michael Sage at 989.269.5805.

DTE is Michigan's largest investor in renewable energy, including wind and solar, having driven investments of more than $2 billion in renewable energy since 2008. In 2016, more than 10 percent of the energy provided by DTE was generated from a renewable source in Michigan - enough clean generation to power nearly 450,000 homes. Today, DTE's renewable energy portfolio includes 13 wind parks and 28 solar arrays in Michigan.

About DTE Energy

DTE Energy (NYSE: 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 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.3 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.