Take a deep breath, and you know you’re in Michigan. The air is the cleanest it’s been in a generation. It’s easy to take for granted. Not us. We strive to do better.

In 2019, our Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) – also known as our Clean Energy Plan, officially solidified our position as Michigan's leader in clean energy, placing us at the forefront of utilities nationwide. Our plan focuses on reducing carbon emissions from our owned electric generating fleet by over 90% by 2040.

In 2020, we announced a goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040. This is the next step in an industry-leading Clean Energy Plan that protects the planet for future generations. The new, net zero goal means we will eliminate the impact of carbon emissions created by the electricity we generate or purchase for our customers.

We love Michigan and are committed to protecting the planet.

That’s why we’re transforming the way we operate to fight climate change and create a clean energy future for generations to come. Our Clean Energy Plan will eliminate coal as a fuel source for electricity, boost renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions. We’ve also voluntarily implemented changes to our natural gas business that will shrink our environmental footprint by significantly reducing methane emissions. We strive to achieve net zero methane emissions for our natural gas delivery system by 2030. By achieving our goal, we’ll reduce our methane emissions by more than 10,000 metric tons – that’s the equivalent of removing about 55,000 vehicles from the road for a year or preserving more than 300,000 acres of forest.

Cleaning the air involves a lot of stakeholders. We hosted public forums, and we gathered input to create our Integrated Resource Plan for Michigan’s energy future. The plan commits to eliminate coal-fired generating plants by 2025.

We’re always thinking about new ways to reduce our emissions footprint. Here’s a list of key activities that are underway:

• We retired seven coal-fired power generating units in 2016.
  
  
• We’ve announced the 2023 retirement of coal-fired units, Karn 1 and 2.
  
  
• We rely on natural gas-fired plants, which have a smaller carbon footprint than a coal-fired facility.
  
  
• Our energy efficiency programs are gaining momentum statewide.
  
  
• We’ve added more plug-in electric vehicles to our fleet.
  
  
• We’ve made natural gas pipeline and storage infrastructure upgrades and have been recognized with a Natural Gas Star Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
  
  
• Our additional renewable energy sources are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about one million tons annually by 2022.

See our required postings for other waste disposal information on regulatory requirements related to toxic emissions and greenhouse gasses.