DTE Energy to Begin Dismantling More Than 1,000 Fridges Collected Through New Cash-For-Clunkers Appliance Program

LIVONIA, Mich., Aug. 11  /PRNewswire/ -- 

  WHO:        Steven Kurmas, President and Chief Operating Officer, Detroit
               Edison
              Brandon Hofmeister, Special Counsel for Energy and Climate
               Policy, Office of Governor Jennifer Granholm
              Michael Dunham, Director of Energy and Environmental Programs,
               JACO Environmental

  WHAT:       Customers taking advantage of DTE Energy's appliance recycling
              program have turned in more than 1,000 energy guzzling
              refrigerators since the program was launched in June.  The DTE
              Energy program offers customers of its Detroit Edison
              subsidiary $50 for turning in older model refrigerators and
              freezers and hauls them away to be recycled for free.

              The company will begin dismantling these refrigerators August
              12 at the opening of a new recycling plant in Livonia that
              will be adding 20 new "green" jobs to the Michigan economy.
              Workers will de-manufacture appliances using a mechanized
              process that safely prevents toxic oils, mercury and
              greenhouse gasses from escaping into the environment.
              Approximately 95 percent of each appliance is recycled,
              keeping it out of landfills.

              Reporters, photographers and camera crews can see the first
              Detroit Edison customers' refrigerators rolling down the
              conveyor belt and how they're dismantled.

  WHERE:      JACO Environmental, 30957 Industrial Rd., Livonia, Mich.

  WHEN:       Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 10 a.m.

  WHY:        DTE Energy's program helps customers save money, energy and
              the environment.  Research has shown that most second
              refrigerators were built before the current energy-efficiency
              standards were implemented and use as much as three times the
              energy of newer models.  Consequently, these appliances
              consume significant amounts of energy for what, in many cases,
              is very limited use in homes today. Removing an old
              refrigerator can save up to $150 annually for the customer.
              Plus, customers receive a $50 incentive for participating in
              the program. The avoided carbon dioxide emissions from each
              refrigerator has about the same impact as taking two cars off
              the road for an entire year.

  FOR         For more information about the DTE Energy's appliance
  MORE:       recycling program, visit YourEnergySavings.com or call
              [phone].


DATASOURCE: DTE Energy



CONTACT:  Lorie Kessler, [phone], or Eileen Dixon,

[phone], both of DTE Energy; or Jennifer Castleberry of JACO,

[phone]



Web Site:  http://www.dteenergy.com/

http://www.yourenergysavings.com/ 

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