Trenton power plant demolition postponed from Friday - Detroit Free Press
Trenton power plant demolition postponed from Friday
Demolition date for Trenton power plant postponed until later this month
Frank Witsil
Demolition of the old Trenton Channel power plant smokestacks, which DTE Energy had said as recently as Monday afternoon had been planned for Friday, has been delayed until later this month.
The company had said from the beginning that Friday's target day was tentative, but decided late Monday to change the date, a calculation utility spokeswoman Cindy Hecht said was based on various factors.
A new date has not been set.
Weather, Hecht told the Free Press, was not the deciding factor, but the National Weather Service is forecasting strong wind gusts, perhaps even a tornado, large hail, thunder, and snowstorms this week — all of which could lead to massive power outages.
The nearly 100-year-old coal-fired facility in Trenton, which was idled in 2022, is slated to be redeveloped, with a second phase of demolition set for May 17, which also may change, depending on the weather and other conditions.
More: Rehabs, demolitions and reopenings: 10 Detroit building projects of 2023
DTE announced the plant, which is sometimes call the Trenton Stacks, would be retired as part of an effort by the utility to move toward cleaner and more renewable sources of power generation to drastically reduce carbon emissions.
When the explosions eventually go off, DTE said residents within a half-mile of the plant can expect to hear a series of booms, like thunder, for less than a minute, and feel some ground vibrations. They also will likely see a big cloud of dust.
Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”