DTE Energy agrees to sell DTE Vantage for approximately US$3B. The planned sale excludes EES Coke, while DTE's 2027 earnings baseline assumes a closing earlier than the announced target. An approximately US$3 billion sale is expected to close in the first half of 2027, after DTE Energy NYSEDTE announced an agreement on Thursday. The disposal supports approximately US$44 billion of planned utility investment over the next five years, the company said in its Nov. 5 announcement. The buyers are institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management's Global Infrastructure group. The agreement covers primarily all DTE Vantage assets except EES Coke. DTE's transaction summary does not quantify after-tax net proceeds, an allocation to debt repayment or specific closing approval requirements. DTE shares NYSEDTE closed at US$137.53 in New York on Nov. 4, according to Google Finance's quote as of 4:03 p.m. EST. That price preceded Thursday's announcement. For the third quarter of 2026, DTE reported earnings of US$470 million, up from US$419 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share rose to US$2.25 from US$2.01. The Detroit-based energy company operates electric and natural gas utilities in Michigan alongside non-utility businesses. Non-GAAP operating earnings for the third quarter of 2026 were US$481 million, compared with US$468 million a year earlier. That measure excludes non-recurring items, certain mark-to-market adjustments and discontinued operations, and differs from reported profit. "This transaction advances our strategy to focus our resources on our regulated electric and gas utilities, where we see significant opportunities to invest on behalf of customers and communities," DTE president and chief executive Joi Harris said in the release. DTE maintained its 2026 operating earnings guidance of US$7.59 to US$7.73 a share. It also provided the same range as a 2027 pro forma baseline reflecting the Vantage sale. A footnote to that baseline assumes the sale closes by the end of 2026, although the transaction summary targets the first half of 2027. DTE says the baseline is subject to change based on discontinued operations, actual closing timing and when sale proceeds are deployed. Utility investment includes A long-term generation plan. DTE said on Nov. 5 that it had invested nearly US$4.1 billion in its utilities through the third quarter of 2026. It remains on track to spend US$6.1 billion this year, strengthening electric and natural gas systems and supporting cleaner generation. The update also says DTE Electric filed a 20-year integrated resource plan with the Michigan Public Service Commission. DTE describes a proposed mix of renewables, storage, nuclear and natural gas, while maintaining its commitment to end coal use in 2032. The plan itself was not reviewed for this article. Utility peer Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. NYSEPEG described a different funding approach in its Nov. 2 results. PSEG expects to finance its five-year capital investment plan of US$24 billion to US$28 billion without issuing new equity or selling assets. DTE's next scheduled update is its Nov. 5 earnings call at 9 a.m. EST. The Vantage transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2027.

Battery-Powered Ann Arbor, mich., neighborhood gets pilot. The neighborhood, which has battery storage systems, will partner with DTE Energy and German battery firm sonnen to test out interconnected battery technology, a potentially more affordable energy solution. October 30, 2026 - Jennifer Eberbach, mlive.com (TNS) - A new self-powered neighborhood equipped with battery energy storage systems will be a test subject for a DTE pilot program in Michigan. Veridian at County Farm, located on Platt Road next to County Farm Park, is partnering with Germany-based battery firm sonnen and DTE Energy to test out interconnected battery technology. The neighborhood is the first residential development in the state to utilize what is called a "virtual power plant" or VPP. Nearly 100 homes constructed so far at the neighborhood came equipped with interconnected sonnen battery storage systems. A two-year pilot program received approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission. Sonnen's VPP software will be integrated into DTE's grid operating system. Veridian was designed to have a net-zero or net-positive carbon footprint. It is all-electric, featuring rooftop solar panel arrays, battery energy storage systems, geothermal and electric heat pumps. Homes in the development also come with induction cooking, electric vehicle-ready charging, and all-electric appliances. "I think what we need is a smart network of batteries to make this grid of the future work," sonnen USA CEO Blake Richetta said. The batteries are networked by software and can be dispatched as a single whole, responding like "a swarm," Richetta said. "The battery decides when the grid is used and the battery decides when we push energy back onto the grid," he said. He sees VPP technology as a way to eventually reduce or eliminate the need for power plants that rely on natural gas or coal. He said eliminating expensive power plant infrastructure would reduce the cost of energy for customers and lower carbon emissions. As distributed power, instead of coming from a centralized source, he sees the technology as flexible and a means to improve grid reliability. Solar and wind power by themselves cannot completely replace the need for fossil fuels due to intermittent energy generation, he said. Ultimately, he hopes the pilot program with DTE at Veridian will be duplicated across the state. For that, they will have to provide proof of concept. Richetta identified several measures of success, including if the substation at Veridian does not require any upgrades within the two-year period. In addition, when power usage peaks, Veridian should draw nearly no energy from the grid, he said. The neighborhood would also become "invisible" during hot months when outages and even rolling blackouts can occur when the grid gets stressed, he said. "We would sit out and disconnect from the grid," he said. "We can draw energy from the grid at times when the energy is cheaper or cleaner, like at 2 a.m. when it is energy people aren't using anyway," he said. The technology also allows for monitoring of weather and grid conditions. Veridian has been a passion project for Ann Arbor and Detroit-based Thrive Collaborative CEO Matt Grocoff, a sustainable real estate developer who set out to build a community that could be completely powered by renewable energy and fossil fuel-free. "Veridian was designed from the outset around a fundamentally different approach to energy," Grocoff said in a statement. "We're incredibly proud that this community can serve as the place where this vision can move from concept to reality, and grateful to everyone involved for helping bring it to life," he said. DTE CEO Joi Harris said the utility is exploring ways to make better use of energy resources, and the pilot program is a "forward-thinking approach" to keeping energy affordable. "Across Michigan, families are feeling the pressure of higher costs for groceries, housing, childcare and other everyday necessities, and we know affordability matters more than ever," Harris said in a statement. "This pilot is an opportunity to test an approach that could ultimately provide a lower-cost way to meet growing energy needs and strengthen reliability," she said.

DTE Energy and sonnen have launched Michigan's first residential battery virtual power plant pilot at Veridian at County Farm, a carbon-neutral community in Ann Arbor developed by Thrive Collaborative. Approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission, the two-year pilot will link nearly 100 homes through sonnen battery systems. DTE will test whether coordinating home batteries as a grid resource can cut energy costs, improve reliability, and help meet rising demand. Veridian sits on 14 acres and has 170 mixed-income homes. Each home has a sonnen battery, and the community uses geothermal energy, electric heat pumps, rooftop solar, and all-electric appliances. The pilot was nominated for the Michigan Energy Innovation Council's Project of the Year award.