DTE Energy to receive license for new nuclear unit

DETROIT, April 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- DTE Energy today received approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a license to construct and operate a new nuclear energy facility on the site of the existing Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant in Newport, Mich.  The company has not committed to building the new plant, but will keep the option open for long-term planning purposes.

"With this license, DTE Energy now possesses the most diverse, comprehensive slate of options to plan for Michigan's energy future," said Steven Kurmas, DTE Energy's president and chief operating officer. "The potential of additional nuclear energy gives us the option of reliable, base-load, generation that does not emit greenhouse gases."

The company's current diverse generation mix includes fossil fuels, wind, natural gas, solar, as well as the Fermi 2 plant, a 1,140-megawatt nuclear energy facility that has been operating since 1988. 

"We're committed to taking the most comprehensive, prudent actions to meet the energy needs of our customers," Kurmas said.  "Our energy infrastructure investment is rooted in Michigan and this will continue as we work with the state to ensure reliable, clean, safe energy that will help Michigan preserve its bright future."  

The decision by the NRC caps a comprehensive, six-year process that examined the technical, safety and environmental aspects of the potential unit.  DTE Energy has referenced the GE Hitachi ESBWR (Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor) as the unit that would be built on the site.  The ESBWR is an advanced design that the NRC certified in November 2014.

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 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio also includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. Information about DTE Energy is available at dteenergy.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy.

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SOURCE DTE Energy

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