Detroit Edison
Encyclopedia
The Detroit Edison Company, founded in 1903, is an investor-owned electric utility
which serves most of Southeast Michigan
. Its parent company, DTE Energy , provides energy services to a variety of clients beyond Detroit Edison's service area.
. North American's stock had once been one of the twelve component stocks of the May 1896 original Dow Jones Industrial Average
. North American Company was broken up by the Securities and Exchange Commission, following the United States Supreme Court decision of April 1, 1946.
After that Detroit Edison operated independently, and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, under the ticker symbol DTE through the mid 1990s. In early 1996, it became an operating subsidiary of the new holding company, DTE Energy Company
, which replaced Detroit Edison Company on the stock exchange, and took over the trading ticker symbol.
The utility operates eleven fossil-fuel generating plants, as well as the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station
. The company is co-owner, with Consumers Energy
, of the Ludington Pumped Storage Power Plant
, a hydroelectric pumped storage facility in Ludington, Michigan
. Detroit Edison uses fossil fuels (mainly coal) to generate 80-85 percent of its total electrical output, with the bulk of the remainder coming from nuclear power.
At 3,300 megawatts, Detroit Edisons's Monroe Power Plant
has the third largest generating capacity of any coal-fired power plant in North America
. Only Georgia Power
's Plant Bowen located near Atlanta, Georgia
and Ontario Power Generation
's Nanticoke Generating Station
in Canada
have more generating capacity.
Detroit Edison operates the coal-fired St. Clair and Belle River Power Plant
s in East China, Michigan and the Marysville
Power Plant near Port Huron
, all on the shores of the St. Clair River
. Also in St. Clair County lies the Greenwood Energy Center, a natural gas and fuel oil plant. Farther north in Harbor Beach
is the Harbor Beach Power Plant.
On the Detroit River
, Detroit Edison operates the Conners Creek Power Plant in the city of Detroit, the River Rouge Power Plant and the Trenton Channel Power Plant, which all burn coal.
in Michigan, DTE Energy was forced to sell off Detroit Edison's sister subsidiary involved in high-voltage energy transmission: International Transmission Co. (ITC)
's lower peninsula. Energy is distributed throughout Huron
, Tuscola
, Sanilac
, Saint Clair
, Lapeer
, Livingston
, Ingham
, Oakland
, Macomb
, Wayne
, Washtenaw
, Lenawee
and Monroe
counties by over a million utility poles and 44000 miles (70,811 km) of power lines.
Detroit Edison's distribution line
voltages are three-phase
4,800 volts (Delta) 4,800/8,320 volts (wye) and 7,620/13,200 volts (Wye) . All new distribution circuits constructed after 1959 are 13,200 volts. The 8,320 volt distribution lines are located in Pontiac, Michigan
in an area that was served by Consumers Power Company
until the mid 1980's when the area was acquired by Detroit Edison.
railroad in 1970, Detroit Edison sought to continue transporting coal from the Monongahela
mines in Pennsylvania
to a brand new power plant in Monroe, Michigan
. However, the bankruptcy of Penn Central left Detroit Edison short of motive power and under capacitated coal hoppers. Detroit Edison then chose to purchase brand new locomotives and coal cars to fit their needs. Purchasing EMD SD40
's and GE U30C
's for mainline motive power as well as High-Side Articulated Gondolas (with a capacity of 185,000 pounds), this new equipment allowed Detroit Edison to move more coal en masse than what Penn Central was able to do with their equipment. The trains were maintained by Detroit Edison officials but operated by Penn Central crews.
By the late 1980s or early 1990, Detroit Edison discontinued use of their equipment, as Conrail now supplied enough power and rolling stock to meet the power company's needs.
Electrical power industry
The electric power industry provides the production and delivery of electric energy, often known as power, or electricity, in sufficient quantities to areas that need electricity through a grid connection. The grid distributes electrical energy to customers...
which serves most of Southeast Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. Its parent company, DTE Energy , provides energy services to a variety of clients beyond Detroit Edison's service area.
History
Detroit Edison was part of a large holding company called North American Edison CompanyNorth American Company
The North American Company was a holding company incorporated in New Jersey on June 14, 1890, and controlled by Henry Villard, to succeed to the assets and property of the Oregon and Transcontinental Company...
. North American's stock had once been one of the twelve component stocks of the May 1896 original Dow Jones Industrial Average
Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow Jones Industrial Average , also called the Industrial Average, the Dow Jones, the Dow 30, or simply the Dow, is a stock market index, and one of several indices created by Wall Street Journal editor and Dow Jones & Company co-founder Charles Dow...
. North American Company was broken up by the Securities and Exchange Commission, following the United States Supreme Court decision of April 1, 1946.
After that Detroit Edison operated independently, and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, under the ticker symbol DTE through the mid 1990s. In early 1996, it became an operating subsidiary of the new holding company, DTE Energy Company
DTE Energy
DTE Energy Co. is a Detroit, Michigan-based utility incorporated in 1995 involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide....
, which replaced Detroit Edison Company on the stock exchange, and took over the trading ticker symbol.
Power generation
Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station
The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station is a nuclear power plant on the shore of Lake Erie near Monroe, in Frenchtown Charter Township, Michigan. It is approximately halfway between Detroit, Michigan, and Toledo, Ohio. It is also visible from parts of Amherstburg, Ontario. Two units have been...
. The company is co-owner, with Consumers Energy
Consumers Energy
Consumers Energy is a public utility that provides natural gas and electricity to more than 6 million of Michigan's 10 million residents. It serves customers in all 68 of the state’s Lower Peninsula counties. It is a division of CMS Energy. Its headquarters is in Jackson.-History:The company was...
, of the Ludington Pumped Storage Power Plant
Ludington Pumped Storage Power Plant
The Ludington Pumped Storage Plant is a hydroelectric plant and reservoir in Ludington, Michigan. It was built between 1969 and 1973 at a cost of $315 million and is owned jointly by Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison and operated by Consumers Energy...
, a hydroelectric pumped storage facility in Ludington, Michigan
Ludington, Michigan
Ludington is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,357. It is the county seat of Mason County.Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette River...
. Detroit Edison uses fossil fuels (mainly coal) to generate 80-85 percent of its total electrical output, with the bulk of the remainder coming from nuclear power.
At 3,300 megawatts, Detroit Edisons's Monroe Power Plant
Monroe Power Plant
The Monroe Power Plant is a coal-fired power plant located in Monroe, Michigan on the western shore of Lake Erie. It is owned by the Detroit Edison Company, a subsidiary of DTE Energy. The plant was constructed in the early 1970s and was completed in 1974. The plant has 4 generating units, each...
has the third largest generating capacity of any coal-fired power plant in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Only Georgia Power
Georgia Power
Georgia Power is an electric utility headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the largest of the four electric utilities that are owned and operated by Southern Company....
's Plant Bowen located near Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation
Ontario Power Generation is a public company wholly owned by the Government of Ontario. OPG is responsible for approximately 70% of the electricity generation in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Sources of electricity include nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, and fossil fuel...
's Nanticoke Generating Station
Nanticoke Generating Station
The Nanticoke Generating Station is the largest coal-fired power plant in North America, delivering up to 2,760 MW of power into the southern Ontario power grid from its base in Nanticoke, Ontario, Canada. Previous to unit shutdowns, its generating capacity was 3,964 MW. It is owned by...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
have more generating capacity.
Detroit Edison operates the coal-fired St. Clair and Belle River Power Plant
Belle River Power Plant
Belle River Power Plant is a major coal- and natural gas-fired power plant owned by Detroit Edison, a subsidiary of DTE Energy. It is located in St. Clair County, Michigan, on the peninsula formed by the St. Clair and Belle rivers. The plant was built across M-29 from the St. Clair Power Plant in...
s in East China, Michigan and the Marysville
Marysville, Michigan
Marysville is a city in St. Clair County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,684 at the 2000 census.-Geography:* According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.* It is considered to be part of the Thumb of...
Power Plant near Port Huron
Port Huron, Michigan
Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administratively autonomous. It is joined by the Blue Water Bridge over the St. Clair River to Sarnia,...
, all on the shores of the St. Clair River
St. Clair River
The St. Clair River is a river in central North America which drains Lake Huron into Lake St Clair, forming part of the international boundary between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Michigan...
. Also in St. Clair County lies the Greenwood Energy Center, a natural gas and fuel oil plant. Farther north in Harbor Beach
Harbor Beach, Michigan
Harbor Beach is a city in Huron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,837 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 1,587 in 2009.-Geography:...
is the Harbor Beach Power Plant.
On the Detroit River
Detroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
, Detroit Edison operates the Conners Creek Power Plant in the city of Detroit, the River Rouge Power Plant and the Trenton Channel Power Plant, which all burn coal.
Energy Transmission
Due to electric utility deregulationDeregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
in Michigan, DTE Energy was forced to sell off Detroit Edison's sister subsidiary involved in high-voltage energy transmission: International Transmission Co. (ITC)
Energy Distribution
Detroit Edison's near 11-gigawatt generating capacity is offered to its 7600 square miles (19,683.9 km²) service area, which encompasses 13 counties in the southeastern portion of MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
's lower peninsula. Energy is distributed throughout Huron
Huron County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-19* M-25* M-53* M-142-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 36,079 people, 14,597 households, and 10,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 43 people per square mile . There were 20,430 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile...
, Tuscola
Tuscola County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-15* M-24* M-25* M-46* M-81* M-138-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 58,266 people, 21,454 households, and 15,983 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile . There were 23,378 housing units at an average density of 29 per...
, Sanilac
Sanilac County, Michigan
-Highways:* M-19* M-25* M-46* M-53* M-81* M-90-History:Sanilac County was probably named for a Wyandot chief named Sanilac. See List of Michigan county name etymologies....
, Saint Clair
St. Clair County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69 enters the county from the west, coming from Lansing and Flint, terminating at the approach to the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron....
, Lapeer
Lapeer County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 87,904 people, 30,729 households, and 23,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 134 people per square mile . There were 32,732 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile...
, Livingston
Livingston County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 156,951 people, 55,384 households, and 43,531 families residing in the county. The population density was 276 people per square mile . There were 58,919 housing units at an average density of 104 per square mile...
, Ingham
Ingham County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 279,320 people, 108,593 households, and 63,744 families residing in the county. The population density was 500 people per square mile . There were 115,056 housing units at an average density of 206 per square mile...
, Oakland
Oakland County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the 2010 Census, there were 1,202,362 people, 471,115 households, and 315,175 families residing in the county. The population density as of the 2000 census was 1,369 people per square mile . There were 492,006 housing units at an average density of 564 per square mile...
, Macomb
Macomb County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 788,149 people, 309,203 households, and 210,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,640 people per square mile . There were 320,276 housing units at an average density of 667 per square mile...
, Wayne
Wayne County, Michigan
-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
, Washtenaw
Washtenaw County, Michigan
Washtenaw County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 344,791. Its county seat is Ann Arbor. The United States Office of Management and Budget defines the county as part of the Detroit–Warren–Flint Combined Statistical Area...
, Lenawee
Lenawee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 98,890 people, 35,930 households, and 26,049 families residing in the county. The population density was 132 people per square mile . There were 39,769 housing units at an average density of 53 per square mile...
and Monroe
Monroe County, Michigan
Monroe County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 2010 population is 152,021. The largest city and county seat is Monroe. The U.S. Census Bureau defines all of Monroe County as conterminous with the Monroe Metropolitan Area...
counties by over a million utility poles and 44000 miles (70,811 km) of power lines.
Detroit Edison's distribution line
Electricity distribution
File:Electricity grid simple- North America.svg|thumb|380px|right|Simplified diagram of AC electricity distribution from generation stations to consumers...
voltages are three-phase
Three-phase electric power
Three-phase electric power is a common method of alternating-current electric power generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of polyphase system and is the most common method used by grids worldwide to transfer power. It is also used to power large motors and other heavy loads...
4,800 volts (Delta) 4,800/8,320 volts (wye) and 7,620/13,200 volts (Wye) . All new distribution circuits constructed after 1959 are 13,200 volts. The 8,320 volt distribution lines are located in Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
in an area that was served by Consumers Power Company
Consumers Energy
Consumers Energy is a public utility that provides natural gas and electricity to more than 6 million of Michigan's 10 million residents. It serves customers in all 68 of the state’s Lower Peninsula counties. It is a division of CMS Energy. Its headquarters is in Jackson.-History:The company was...
until the mid 1980's when the area was acquired by Detroit Edison.
DTE Rail Service Inc.
With the bankruptcy of the Penn Central TransportationPenn Central Transportation
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American railroad company that operated from 1968 until 1976. It was created by the merger on February 1, 1968, of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central Railroad...
railroad in 1970, Detroit Edison sought to continue transporting coal from the Monongahela
Monongahela, Pennsylvania
Monongahela, colloquially called "Mon City," is a Third Class City in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and is part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area, located approximately south of the city proper. The population was 4,761 at the 2000 census...
mines in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
to a brand new power plant in Monroe, Michigan
Monroe, Michigan
Monroe is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,733 at the 2010 census. It is the largest city and county seat of Monroe County. The city is bordered on the south by Monroe Charter Township, but both are politically independent. The city is located approximately 14 miles ...
. However, the bankruptcy of Penn Central left Detroit Edison short of motive power and under capacitated coal hoppers. Detroit Edison then chose to purchase brand new locomotives and coal cars to fit their needs. Purchasing EMD SD40
EMD SD40
The EMD SD40 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and August 1972.-Design:Like its predecessor in EMD's catalog, the SD35, the SD40 is a high-horsepower, six-motor freight locomotive....
's and GE U30C
GE U30C
The GE U30C was one of the earliest successes from General Electric in the diesel locomotive market. With 600 units sold, the U30C proved to be a choice for customers who weren't able to purchase SD40's or SD40-2's from EMD due to mass orders...
's for mainline motive power as well as High-Side Articulated Gondolas (with a capacity of 185,000 pounds), this new equipment allowed Detroit Edison to move more coal en masse than what Penn Central was able to do with their equipment. The trains were maintained by Detroit Edison officials but operated by Penn Central crews.
By the late 1980s or early 1990, Detroit Edison discontinued use of their equipment, as Conrail now supplied enough power and rolling stock to meet the power company's needs.