Henry Ford Health Partnership Aims To Cut Emissions

Henry Ford Health System recently announced a new partnership with DTE Energy that aims todramatically reduce its greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade, help combat pollution and climate change, and help reverse environmental inequities in Detroit.

Through DTE’s voluntary renewable energy program, MIGreenPower, Henry Ford will begin purchasing wind and solar energy. The goal is that beginning in 2023, 10 percent— approximately 19,100 megawatt hours — of Henry Ford’s total electricity purchased from DTE will come from Michigan-made renewable energy, increasing incrementally to 100 percent by 2029.

“Sustainability is an integral part of building strong, healthy communities,” said Bob Riney, Henry Ford Health System’s president of healthcare operations and chief operations officer. “At Henry Ford, health equity is at the foundation of everything we do. It’s an unfortunate fact that low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by poor environmental conditions, which are exacerbated by climate change. By investing in clean, renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure, we aim to address health disparities and the growing impacts of climate change regionwide, especially in our historically marginalized communities.”

Henry Ford’s clean energy commitment with DTE will begin as soon as the energy company’s infrastructure comes online, likely in late 2023. The initial purchase will reduce the organization’s greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 13,536 metric tons, the equivalent of removing 2,944 passenger vehicles from the road each year.

The system has been working with DTE and other partners to implement other energy-conservation measures, like lighting replacement and HVAC upgrades. Henry Ford is also working with other utility providers to identify further energy savings opportunities, including renewable energy options.MIGreenPower is a voluntary renewable energy program that enables DTE customers to attribute their energy use to the company’s wind and solar projects.