LIVONIA, Mich., Aug. 11 /PRNewswire/ --

    WHO:        Steven Kurmas, President and Chief Operating Officer, Detroit
                 Edison
                Brandon Hofmeister, Special Counsel for Energy and Climate
                 Policy, Office of Governor Jennifer Granholm
                Michael Dunham, Director of Energy and Environmental Programs,
                 JACO Environmental
    WHAT:       Customers taking advantage of DTE Energy's appliance recycling
                program have turned in more than 1,000 energy guzzling
                refrigerators since the program was launched in June.  The DTE
                Energy program offers customers of its Detroit Edison
                subsidiary $50 for turning in older model refrigerators and
                freezers and hauls them away to be recycled for free.
                The company will begin dismantling these refrigerators August
                12 at the opening of a new recycling plant in Livonia that
                will be adding 20 new "green" jobs to the Michigan economy.
                Workers will de-manufacture appliances using a mechanized
                process that safely prevents toxic oils, mercury and
                greenhouse gasses from escaping into the environment.
                Approximately 95 percent of each appliance is recycled,
                keeping it out of landfills.
                Reporters, photographers and camera crews can see the first
                Detroit Edison customers' refrigerators rolling down the
                conveyor belt and how they're dismantled.
    WHERE:      JACO Environmental, 30957 Industrial Rd., Livonia, Mich.
    WHEN:       Wednesday, August 12, 2009, 10 a.m.
    WHY:        DTE Energy's program helps customers save money, energy and
                the environment.  Research has shown that most second
                refrigerators were built before the current energy-efficiency
                standards were implemented and use as much as three times the
                energy of newer models.  Consequently, these appliances
                consume significant amounts of energy for what, in many cases,
                is very limited use in homes today. Removing an old
                refrigerator can save up to $150 annually for the customer.
                Plus, customers receive a $50 incentive for participating in
                the program. The avoided carbon dioxide emissions from each
                refrigerator has about the same impact as taking two cars off
                the road for an entire year.
    FOR         For more information about the DTE Energy's appliance
    MORE:       recycling program, visit YourEnergySavings.com or call
                (866)796-0512.

SOURCE DTE Energy