DTE Energy

DTE Energy is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services all throughout the United States of America. The company provides gas & electric utility services to homes and businesses.

Its operating units include an electric company serving 2.3 million customers in Southeast Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. DTE Energy has more than 10,000 employees in utility and non-utility subsidiaries involved in a wide range of energy-related businesses. 

1903: In 1903, Edison Illuminating and  The Company of Detroit merged as the Detroit Edison Company, which began trading on January 17. Founded in 1903, DTE Electric is the largest electric utility in Michigan and one of the largest in the nation.

1904: Detroit Edison signed its first power contract with an automobile company — the Cadillac Motor Car Co.

1905: A majority of the Detroit City Gas Co. was acquired by the American Light & Traction Co., a holding company that controlled utility and transportation interests stretching from Grand Rapids to Milwaukee.

1906: On July 24, the company formed a wholly owned subsidiary, Eastern Michigan Edison Company and transferred all the Huron River companies to it as subsidiaries.

1907: It had become obvious that the company had to add more turbines, and construction began on a second power station at Delray to house a turbine capable of generating station/house 14,000 kilowatts of energy.

1912: Charles W. Wetmore became the company's first president and remained in that position until this year. Alex Dow became president of Detroit Edison.

1913: Under Dow’s leadership, not only had the generating capacity and service area expanded, but Detroit Edison had developed its own engineering research department, founded in that year, and improved customer service. Detroit City Gas acquired additional service territory that included the communities of River Rouge, Wyandotte, Dearborn, Ecorse and Trenton.

1922: Detroit Edison completed its first in suburban Marysville.

1924: Detroit Edison put its second at Trenton Channel in Trenton in July.

1935: The following year the industry was deregulated when Congress repealed the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, which had allowed utility companies such as Detroit Edison to operate as monopolies.

1940: Alex Dow retired as company president.

1951: When Parker retired Cisler took over as president and general manager.

1954: Detroit Edison added the St Clair Power Plant — one of the largest power plants in the world at the time.

1955:In Cisler asumed the leadership responisbilities for organizing exploration for nuclear energy years before. It was formally organized, with 34 companies participating, such as the Power Reactor Development Company (PRDC), which owned and operated the Enrico Fermi Power Plant.

1956: Detroit Edison broke ground for the Enrico Fermi Power Plant and also began work on the River Rouge Power Plant.

1962: With its assets growing so rapidly, Detroit Edison authorized a two-for-one common stock split in December.

1963: Walter McCarthy became general manager of the PRDC, with Cisler continuing as president.

1966: In spite of Walker Cisler’s campaign for constant generating plant growth, demand still threatened to outstrip supply, and so, that year, peaking units were introduced into the generating system.

1970: The first of the Monroe power plant's coal-fired units went online.

1972: It had taken four years to repair the reactor and fuel assemblies at Fermi 1, and when the repairs were completed the plant was only operated on and off for several months, with its last operation being September 22. Construction also began this year on the Greenwood Energy Center — the company's first inland plant designed for both oil - and nuclear-fueled generating units.

1973: The Ludington Pumped Storage Plant, co-owned by Detroit Edison and Consumers Power Company, also went into service.

1975: In November of that year the PRDC executive committee decided to decommission the plant as of December 31.

1976: Another William G. Meese cost-efficient measure was implemented when the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal was opened by a subsidiary of Detroit Edison.

1979: As Fermi 2 was in the midst of construction, the disaster at Three Mile Island hit. It began the Energy Plus advertising campaign on a national and international level to interest companies in bringing their manufacturing facilities to Metro Detroit. McCarthy became president and chief operating officer of Detroit Edison and John R. Hamann was elected to the newly created position of vice chairman of the board.

1981: In September, William G.Meese retired and was succeeded by Walter J. McCarthy as chairman and chief executive officer.

1983: Detroit Edison sought to sell its engineering expertise through the creation of Utility Technical Services, later called SYNDECO — Detroit Edison's first subsidiary business.

1985: Fermi 2 was completed, and low-power testing began.

1986: With the delays involved in bringing in new plant management and in receiving approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Fermi 2 resumed low-power testing in July. The Detroit Edison Foundation was formed to manage the company's charitable giving programs and volunteer efforts that had grown over the years.

1987: Detroit Edison’s wholly owned subsidiary, Washtenaw Energy Corporation, was merged into the company.

1988: Primark spun off MichCon, and the MCN Corp. was established as the parent company of MichCon. The Fermi 2 unit was licensed and went online in 1988.

1989: This increase was to be phased in over five years beginning January 1. It completed its first scheduled shutdown for refuelling in December, and it produced more than 5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity during the year.

1991: The company had record revenues and earnings, and in mid-December, its common stock reached $35 per share, the highest price in 25 years. With record sales reaching $3.59 billion, the company received the "Electric Utility of the Year" award from the trade magazine Electric Light & Power. Detroit Edison received the “Electric Utility of the Year” award from the trade magazine Electric Light & Power.

1992: Later that year, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act, which allowed competition in the utility industry's wholesale sector by mandating existing utilities to transmit electricity generated by other producers through their lines.

1993: The company received yet another setback on Christmas Day when a turbine generator fire at Fermi 2 caused the high-production plant to close while repairs were made.

1995: DTE Energy was reorganised in January to be headquartered in Detroit, MI. The plant returned to partial service, as the company posted sales of $3.64 billion against a net income of $406 million. In response to these industry-wide changes.

1996: Detroit Edison reorganised as a holding company — DTE Energy. “DTE” was selected because it was the existing stock ticker symbol for Detroit Edison. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a new set of rules in April 1996 that affected transmission capacity, wholesale and retail competition, and other issues.

1997: These capital costs would also diminish as a result of debt refinancing through the Michigan Legislature's approval of the issuance rate-reduction bonds in mid-year.

2001: On May 31, DTE Energy and MCN Energy Group completed a merger which created Michigan's largest energy company and a premier regional energy provider.

2007: DTE Energy began acquiring wind development rights on more than 100,000 acres of land in the Thumb area.

2012: The first DTE Energy-owned and constructed wind parks were commissioned (connected to the grid and generating power) in December.

2013: DTE Energy adopted "DTE" as its customer-facing brand.

2020: The DTE Energy Board of Directors declared a $1.0125 per share dividend on its common stock payable July 15, to shareholders of record at the close of business June 15. In October, DTE announced its plan to spin off DTE Midstream into an independent, publicly-traded business called DT Midstream.

“At DTE Energy our aspiration is to be the best-operated energy company in North America and a force for growth and prosperity in the communities where we live and serve.”

“Leading the way to a cleaner, safer and smarter Energy future.”