DETROIT – Copper Hop Brewing Co., located in St. Clair Shores has  enrolled in DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program that 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 percent 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.

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