[Detroit Zoological Society, 22 August 2019]

The Detroit Zoo, located in Michigan, has announced that they will aim to achieve 100% renewable energy use through DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program by the end of 2020. The energy will be sourced from three new wind energy sites. As a result, 7,425 metric tons of CO2 will be offset. This is not the first time the Detroit Zoological Society has taken steps towards sustainability; in fact, the organization has already received four awards for its environmental initiatives (including a permeable pavement for diverting storm water, an anaerobic digester for transforming animal waste into compost and energy, and the use of solar/electric hybrid golf carts and bicycles for transportation within the zoo. The zoo is also the first of its kind to install a Smartflower, which is “an all-in-one ground-mounted solar panel system that generates more than 4,000 kw of electricity annually.” The Detroit Zoological Society is also working towards energy efficiency by upgrading over 50 of the zoo’s buildings and will install LED lighting throughout the zoo.