DTE Considers Milan Township for Natural Gas Power Plant
DTE Energy is considering a roughly 161-acre property in Milan Township for a new natural gas-fired power plant as the utility prepares to retire its Monroe Power Plant.
The proposal is still preliminary, but DTE told township officials Aug. 13 that a plant could occupy about 30 to 40 acres, with stacks approaching 200 feet. The company also directly addressed questions about the nearby proposed Dundee Township data center, saying the projects are not connected.
“There’s no direct tie whatsoever to us building a plant here and the potential data centers,” a DTE representative said.
The plant would feed electricity into the broader grid rather than directly serve a particular customer, DTE said.
No site agreement is in place, and the Milan Township Board took no action on the proposal. DTE said the Aug. 13 presentation was intended to explain what it is considering and begin gathering questions and concerns from the community.
The company said the retirement of its 3,200-megawatt Monroe Power Plant is driving the need for additional generation. Half of the plant is scheduled to retire at the end of 2028, with the remaining 1,600 megawatts scheduled to retire at the end of 2032.
DTE said current modeling shows a need for about 2,100 megawatts of additional reliable generation but did not give a final capacity for a potential Milan Township plant.
One reason the area is being considered is access to the NEXUS natural gas pipeline, which runs through the western portion of the township.
DTE is considering a combined-cycle natural gas plant, which uses a gas turbine and captures heat from that process to generate additional electricity. The company pointed to its Blue Water Energy Center in East China Township as an example. That facility occupies about 30 acres and has stacks about 199 feet tall.
Water was another concern. DTE said a Milan Township facility would be air-cooled and would not use groundwater wells. The company would instead explore extending municipal water service to the site, potentially from the Village of Dundee. DTE said initial discussions about water availability have taken place, but more work would be needed.
The company also said it has no current plans to install carbon capture equipment at the plant. New combined-cycle plants are generally being designed so the technology could potentially be added later, the representative said.
Residents raised concerns about noise, visibility, water infrastructure, environmental impacts and how neighboring communities could be affected without sharing directly in Milan Township’s tax revenue. Township officials also questioned DTE about setbacks and screening.
The Milan Township Planning Commission is reviewing an ordinance for gas and electrical power plants and hopes to bring a proposal to the township board in the coming weeks. A battery storage ordinance is expected to follow.
Clerk Stephanie Kozar asked residents to submit additional questions to the township. She said the questions will be compiled and sent to DTE, with the responses made available to the public.
For now, DTE said it is continuing to evaluate whether Milan Township is a suitable location for the project.