Trump Tweet Commends “Clean Coal” Even As DTE Energy Continues To Shut Down Coal Plants

Three months after announcing it would completely eliminate coal from its portfolio, Detroit-based utility DTE Energy announced on Friday it, along with partner Consumers Energy, was accelerating plans to increase its clean-energy portfolio to reach a generation target of at least 50% by 2030.

The utility’s announcement came on the same day President Donald J. Trump tweeted that the United States has 250 years of “clean coal” in its energy mix and touted the fact he ended the mythical “war on coal.”

Coal burning power plants have been being shifted to natural gas for a long time. Natural gas is far cheaper and easier for similar energy results.

This decision has less to do with the environment and more to do with efficiency and cost savings.

It’s similar to those stupid signs in hotel bathrooms. If you care about the environment and saving the earth, hang your towels to reuse them. If you don’t care, throw the m on the floor.

Hotel owners aren’t having any environmental effect. They want to save money.

When I’m paying $100 plus a night, you’re darn tootin’ I want a fresh towel.

My wife and I just spent three hotel nights using frequent stayer points. I still wanted fresh towels.

How does DTE define clean. Solar? Wind? new Nuclear Plant(s)? Natural Gas? Natural Gas via "Combined Cycle Plants"?

Does anyone here know 15% of Michigan's electrical energy comes from a Combined Cycle Natural Gas plant that sends it's steam to Dow Chemical in Midland? Thermal Efficiency >50%.

Will we get more of them using Natural Gas from Fracking here in MI, or will we get a pipeline from PA, & or OH to feed these plants?

Here is a picture of the Midland Plant. BTW what spins the Turbines is a Ground Pounder version of a Turbine engine in your airliner. spin it on one side, use the heat from the engine to create steam. 2 bangs for the same buck. Notice the multiple stacks, turn on another Gas Turbine Engine as the Load Increases, brilliant.

No mention of CTCC plants. The article says they have drunk the renewables and "negawatt" Kool-Ade and are going to double down on the unreliable, expensive, low capacity factor wind and solar sources...and pay you to use less of their product.

DTE said it would reach its goal by investing in a goal of at least 25% renewable energy reaching the remainder of its goal through energy efficiency programs.
“Our two companies [DTE and Consumers Energy] are overwhelmingly in favor of renewable energy and are focused on bringing additional energy efficiency opportunities to our customers,” said DTE Energy Chairman and CEO Gerry Anderson and Consumers Energy CEO Patti Poppe. “We will continue to work within the framework put forward by our legislature and regulators to build on our environmental initiatives to benefit all residents of the state.”
The decision to accelerate the clean-energy program is at least in part the result of an agreement with progressive billionaire Tom Steyer’s Clean Energy, Healthy Michigan (CEHM) group to place aside a ballot proposal to increase the state’s renewable portfolio standard. The group had gathered enough signatures to put an increase in the Renewable Power Standards (RPS) on the ballot.
Details of the two companies’ plans to retire coal plants and increase wind and solar generation will be outlined in their respective Integrated Resource Plans.

How nice that the boards of DTE and Consumers are in favor of pixie dust generation. I wonder if anybody asked their customers what they think of expensive unreliable power made with the ugliest most infernal generating machines ever devise different — windmills.

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