Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

Reduce-CO2-Cloud-GraphicThe Ford Lake Hydroelectric Station (Hydro Station) was part of Henry Ford’s Village industries in the 1930's, built to provide electrical power to the Ford Motor Company’s Ypsilanti Plant. Today, the electrical power is sold to DTE Electric under a PURPA Power Purchase Agreement.

Ypsilanti Township desires to be a good steward to the environment it serves. The goal is to reduce the carbon footprint left behind from the use of electricity consumed in Township owned facilities and to continue to support the Township’s owned and operated renewable energy project.

Under Public Act 295 of 2008, qualified facilities also create Renewable Energy Credits (REC) that can be used towards state compliance requirements or voluntary efforts. The Hydro Station retains 20% of the RECs it creates and then applies them to the Township's goal to reduce the carbon footprint from the consumption of the electricity at the Township's larger facilities.

Year Total Usage RECs Applied % From Renewable
2015 1,180.6 MWh 1,185 RECs 100%
2016 1,250.5 MWh 1,286 RECs 100%
2017 1,505.7 MWh 1,524 RECs 100%
2018 1,280.5 MWh 1,290 RECs 100%
2019 1,016.9 MWh 1,027 RECs 100%
2020 1,157.7 MWh 1,169 RECs 100%


CO2 Avoidance
Within the Township's goal, 17 facilities were included to help avoid adding to the global carbon footprint. Hydro RECs have a low carbon footprint over coal and oil generation, thus helping to avoid CO2 emissions.

Year  
2015 1,905,992 lbs**, that equal to driving a vehicle 3,805 less miles***
2016 2,018,802 lbs**, that equal to driving a vehicle 4,150 less miles***
2017 2,430,822 lbs**, that equal to driving a vehicle 4,583 less miles***
2018 2,067,233 lbs**, that equal to driving a vehicle 4,127 less miles***
2019 1,334,702 lbs**, that equal to driving a vehicle 2,664 less miles***
2020 1,519,493 lbs**, that equal to driving a vehicle 3,033 less miles***
** Estimated avoided lbs CO2 by using Hydro RECs instead of conventional fossil fuel generation
*** Estimated 21.6 average fuel mileage,11,321 lbs CO2 per gallon of gasoline