Four DTE Energy Eagles Get Patriotic Names

MONROE, Mich., July 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for the Fourth of July weekend, four bald eagle chicks living at two DTE Energy sites have new names.  And the names are quite appropriate as the celebration of Independence Day draws near: Spirit, Freedom, Honor and Grace.

DTE Energy received more than 600 votes on its Facebook page (facebook.com/dteenergy), with the top four names capturing 32 percent of the total vote. The four bald eagle chicks hatched at the Monroe Power Plant and Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant this spring.

It seems the connection between the Fourth of July and the celebrated American icon helped boost the patriotic names to the top of the list.  Spirit, Freedom, Honor and Grace beat out 16 other names:

• Amp, Volt, Watt, Ohm;
• Liberty, Justice, Freedom, Courage;
• Erie, Superior, Huron, Michigan;
• Kilo, Mega, Giga, Tera – The Watts Family

Two of the bald eagles hatched at Fermi 2 and two others at Monroe. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the four new chicks add to an already healthy breeding population in Monroe and Wayne counties — about 13 pairs of mating bald eagles all together.

DTE Energy has a long record of environmental stewardship. The company participates in many conservation programs throughout the region, with 28 facilities certified as wildlife sites through the Wildlife Habitat Council. These sites provide homes for many species of wildlife, including bald eagles, fox, beavers, bluebirds and white-tailed deer.

DTE Energy was the first business partner within the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge to enter a cooperative management agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, allowing the service to protect and manage wildlife and fish populations on 656 acres at the Fermi 2 plant.

SOURCE DTE Energy