DTE to raze more of 'Trenton Stacks' power plant in transition to battery energy storage

Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read

Demolition is set to continue for DTE Energy's former downriver coal plant, as the site transitions to a battery energy storage center.

DTE plans to complete the second phase of the Trenton Channel Power Plant demolition at the end of next week, according to DTE's website. DTE will notify residents by automated phone message and email the day before demolition to inform them of the schedule, with a final time decision to be made on Thursday.

Demolition day will see road closures for vehicles and pedestrians starting at 5:40 a.m. on Grosse Ile Parkway Bridge, Grosse Ile Parkway, West Jefferson Avenue and West River Road for up to two hours. DTE advises residents to close windows, store cars in garages and cover boats ahead of the demolition, amid expected dust.

The two smokestacks at the Trenton Channel power plant were demolished early on Friday, March 15, 2024.
The two smokestacks at the Trenton Channel power plant were demolished early on Friday, March 15, 2024.

The power plant's 600-foot stacks were demolished in March, with big booms, shock waves and dust clouds as onlookers watched.

The former coal-fired facility in Trenton — which was built in 1924, idled in 2022 and is colloquially known as the "Trenton Stacks" — is being transformed into a utility-scale battery energy storage facility, where enough electricity can be stored to power 40,000 homes, a city about the size of Dearborn. Groundbreaking on the new facility began Monday, with officials marking the start of construction on the future Trenton Channel Energy Center.

Under DTE’s resource plan, the company notes it has gone from generating 77% of its power with coal in 2005 to just 45% in 2023. By 2027, it aims to cut that to 32%, by 2029 to 15% — and eventually eliminate coal entirely.

More: Lawmakers hope to continue fight against political spending by DTE, Consumers in Michigan

A rendering of the Trenton Channel energy center, which is set to be built by 2026, in Trenton
A rendering of the Trenton Channel energy center, which is set to be built by 2026, in Trenton

DTE seeks to boost its renewable sources, from 14% in 2023 to more than half in 2036.

DTE has taken safety and cleaning measures to prepare for next week's demolition. Additional information is available at DTE's website.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: DTE to raze more of 'Trenton Stacks' coal plant next week