Belle River
Belle River is a coal plant in St Clair County, Michigan, operated by DTE Electric Company. It ranks fifth by nameplate capacity among Michigan’s 282 power plants. Its units draw on three kinds of energy: coal, natural gas and oil-fired. The operator has reported planned retirement dates for 1,395 MW of it, in 2028.
Nameplate capacity, 2025
1,664 MW
1,508 MW net summer capacity
10 operable units
- Coal steam1,395 MW84%
- Gas combustion turbine256 MW15%
- Oil-fired13.5 MW0.8%
Unit by unit, 1981 to 2025
operating in 2025reported planned retirementbar height follows unit size
Unit 3 Oil-fired, 2.7 MW, 1981
Unit 4 Oil-fired, 2.7 MW, 1981
Unit 5 Oil-fired, 2.7 MW, 1981
Unit IC1 Oil-fired, 2.7 MW, 1981
Unit IC2 Oil-fired, 2.7 MW, 1981
Unit ST1 Coal steam, 698 MW, 1984
Unit ST2 Coal steam, 698 MW, 1985
Unit 12-1 Gas combustion turbine, 85.3 MW, 1999
Unit 12-2 Gas combustion turbine, 85.3 MW, 1999
Unit 13-1 Gas combustion turbine, 85.3 MW, 1999
Among Michigan’s plants
Largest plants in the state by nameplate capacity, with the plants ranked next to this one.
- 1Monroe (MI)3,293 MW
- 2Donald C Cook2,285 MW
- 3Ludington1,979 MW
- 4Midland Cogeneration Venture1,854 MW
- 5Belle Riverthis plant
- 6J H Campbell1,561 MW
- 7Dan E Karn1,402 MW
Other rankings
- All US power plants
- 123rd of 14,286
- US coal plants
- 38th of 195
- Coal plants in Michigan
- 2nd of 6
- Plants in the MISO (Midcontinent) balancing area
- 16th of 2,383
- Plants run by DTE Electric Company
- 2nd of 39
- Biggest single unit, among Michigan’s plants
- 8th of 282
Operable units
| Unit | Technology | Nameplate | Summer | Online | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Oil-fired | 2.7 MW | 3 MW | 1981 | Operating |
| 4 | Oil-fired | 2.7 MW | 3 MW | 1981 | Operating |
| 5 | Oil-fired | 2.7 MW | 3 MW | 1981 | Operating |
| IC1 | Oil-fired | 2.7 MW | 2 MW | 1981 | Operating |
| IC2 | Oil-fired | 2.7 MW | 3 MW | 1981 | Operating |
| ST1 | Coal steam | 698 MW | 635 MW | 1984 | Operating, retirement planned for 2028 |
| ST2 | Coal steam | 698 MW | 635 MW | 1985 | Operating, retirement planned for 2028 |
| 12-1 | Gas combustion turbine | 85.3 MW | 75 MW | 1999 | Operating |
| 12-2 | Gas combustion turbine | 85.3 MW | 75 MW | 1999 | Operating |
| 13-1 | Gas combustion turbine | 85.3 MW | 74 MW | 1999 | Operating |
Who owns it
Shares are weighted by the nameplate capacity of each unit an owner holds.
| Owner | Share of capacity |
|---|---|
| DTE Electric Company | 68.2% |
| Michigan Public Power Agency | 15.6% |
| DTE Electric Company (sole owner of the other units) | 16.2% |
Grid and site
- Balancing area
- MISO (Midcontinent)
- Reliability region
- ReliabilityFirst
- Highest grid connection voltage
- 345 kV
- Water source
- St. Clair River
- Nearest town on record
- China Twp
- Operator type
- Utility
- Coordinates
- 42.776°N, 82.495°W
Closest plants
| Plant | Runs on | Capacity | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dean | Natural gas | 358 MW | 0.7 mi east |
| Blue Water Energy Center | Natural gas | 1,267 MW | 0.8 mi east |
| St Clair | Natural gas | 18.5 MW | 1.4 mi southeast |
| Cargill Salt | Natural gas | 4.2 MW | 3.0 mi north |
| Blue Water Renewables Inc | Biomass and waste | 3.2 MW | 10.9 mi northwest |
| Pine Tree Acres WM LFGTE | Biomass and waste | 12.8 MW | 12.7 mi west |
| Pine Tree Acres | Biomass and waste | 8.8 MW | 12.8 mi west |
| E.B. Eddy Paper Inc | Natural gas | 5 MW | 15.1 mi north |