Washtenaw Community College furthers sustainability goals with DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program
Institution is the first community college to enroll in the program
Washtenaw Community College has enrolled in DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program with clean energy commitments starting in 2023. By 2029, the college’s clean energy commitment will equal 100% of its electric power usage.
Detroit, June 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) and Washtenaw Community College (WCC) today announced the college’s enrollment in DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower voluntary renewable energy program. MIGreenPower provides DTE customers with an easy, low-cost option to access more clean energy without installing onsite generation. The first community college to enroll in the program, WCC has committed to an escalating enrollment that will begin in 2023 and increase annually with the college sourcing 100% of its electric power needs through clean energy by 2029.
“Protecting our precious resources for generations to come is a critical role for all of us. WCC is thrilled to partner with DTE as the first community college in Michigan to participate in MIGreenPower to accelerate our longtime commitment to these efforts,” said WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca.
WCC has aggressively pursued a campus-wide environmental sustainability plan for the past decade with the intent of achieving a carbon neutral footprint, including signing the American Colleges and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment and outlining long- and short-term goals.
The college’s clean energy commitment is part of WCC’s broader sustainability efforts that include installing occupancy sensors in classrooms and offices; eliminating incandescent lamps; implementing a comprehensive campus recycling program; composting food and yard waste; installing electric vehicle fueling stations; and following the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system for all new and remodel building projects.
Additionally, WCC has been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation for its campus tree care program for five years in a row. With more than 1,600 trees across its 147 acres of maintained grounds, WCC has an active forest management program that includes student service-learning opportunities, a tree advisory committee and a campus tree-care plan.
“Washtenaw Community College is one of our area’s top community colleges,” said Brian Calka, director of DTE’s Renewable Solutions team. “We know they are committed to supporting the educational goals of the more than 21,000 students they serve each year, and we are excited they have enrolled in MIGreenPower to meet the environmental goals that are also important to their faculty, students, staff and supporters.”
Among the top three voluntary renewable energy programs in the country, DTE’s MIGreenPower program provides customers with a flexible and affordable way to reduce their carbon footprint and support more local renewable energy development. Since the program’s inception, MIGreenPower subscribers have supported 1.8 million megawatt hours of clean energy, avoiding more than 1.4 million tons of CO2 or the greenhouse gas emissions from 277,400 passenger cars driven for a year.*
To learn more about Washtenaw Community College, visit www.wccnet.edu. For more information on DTE’s MIGreenPower program, please visit www.migreenpower.com.
About Washtenaw Community College
Washtenaw Community College (WCC), Ann Arbor, Mich., educates more than 21,000 students each year through a wide range of associate and certificate programs, emphasizing workforce development and career educational areas such as health care, advanced transportation and mobility, STEM and business and entrepreneurship. WCC is committed to student success, with nearly 70% of students intending to transfer to complete a bachelor degree, and works through community, business and union partnerships to develop highly specialized training programs.
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 company serving 2.2 million customers in Southeast Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE portfolio includes energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, renewable natural gas, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As an environmental leader, DTE will reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions by more than 80 percent by 2040 to produce cleaner energy while keeping it safe, reliable and affordable. DTE is committed to serving with its energy through volunteerism, education and employment initiatives, philanthropy and economic progress. Information about DTE is available at dteenergy.com, empoweringmichigan.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com.
*Avoided emissions and equivalencies are based on the Environmental Protection Agency equivalencies calculator at epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator
Attachments
CONTACT: Cindy Hecht DTE Energy 313.235.5555 Fran LeFort Washtenaw Community College 734-677-5295
