Copper Hop Brewing Co. becomes first brewery to enroll in DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program

The St. Clair Shores business will attribute 100% of its energy use to DTE’s wind and solar projects

Detroit, May 6, 2021 – Copper Hop Brewing Co., located in St. Clair Shores, Michigan, today announced its enrollment in DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program. MIGreenPower provides DTE Electric customers with a turnkey solution to achieve their sustainability goals by attributing their energy use to Michigan wind and solar parks. Copper Hop will be attributing 100% of its energy use to renewable energy and is the first brewery to enroll in the program.

Copper Hop opened its doors just three months before the coronavirus pandemic hit. At the time, the brewery only featured indoor seating for 84 people. Co-owner Ryan Balicki, together with business partners Jeremy Lewis and Shaun Koltuniak, had to quickly pivot to create an outdoor seating area and invest in outdoor heaters. Now, business is booming, and the brewery has even stimulated further development in the area.

Protecting the environment is a key focus for Copper Hop Brewing. Since its opening, the business has launched various sustainability initiatives, including recycling the water used in the brewing process and sending used grain out to local farms to be used as cattle feed.

“I believe making our business more sustainable is simply the right thing to do,” said Balicki. “MIGreenPower gives us a no-maintenance, flexible way to reduce our carbon footprint. It’s also great to know that we’re contributing toward the development of renewable projects in Michigan.”

DTE is Michigan’s leading renewable energy producer and investor, with 18 wind parks and 31 solar farms generating enough clean energy to power 670,000 homes. MIGreenPower gives subscribers the opportunity to participate in these renewable energy projects while reducing their impact on the environment. Copper Hop joins over 300 businesses and nearly 30,000 residential customers who are helping create Michigan’s clean energy future with MIGreenPower.

“We’re thrilled to have Copper Hop as our first brewery using MIGreenPower to reach its sustainability goals,” said Brian Calka, director of DTE’s Renewable Solutions team. “With three distilleries already enrolled, we know how effective the program can be in helping offset the impact of such energy-intensive processes. The MIGreenPower team is excited to continue working with southeast Michigan businesses to make a real difference in the fight against climate change.”

For more information on DTE’s MIGreenPower program, please visit www.migreenpower.com.

About DTE Energy

DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric company serving 2.2 million customers in Southeast Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE portfolio includes energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, renewable natural gas, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As an environmental leader, DTE will reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions by more than 80 percent by 2040 to produce cleaner energy while keeping it safe, reliable and affordable. DTE is committed to serving with its energy through volunteerism, education and employment initiatives, philanthropy and economic progress. Information about DTE is available at dteenergy.com, empoweringmichigan.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com.

For further information, members of the media may contact:

Lauren Owings, DTE Energy, 313.235.5555