With $4.7 million in savings and avoided costs, DTE Energy and the Fermi Nuclear Power Plant won the coveted Utilities Service Alliance (USA) Optimizer Award for the fifth time. The company’s savings represent an impressive return of $39.65 on each dollar of their fleet membership investment.

“This award represents the tangible and intangible benefits utilities have the opportunity to take advantage of as USA members,” said Todd Haberland, Manager – Nuclear Support and Management Council representative for Fermi, who accepted the award today at the USA Executive Summit in Hot Springs, Virginia. “It also gives tangible meaning to the hard work of those Fermi based individuals who have grasped the USA opportunity to avoid costs through collaboration and ‘fleet-like’ behaviors to positively benefit overall plant performance.”

The average fleet-wide savings for 2012 was approximately $3.1 million per station in savings through their participation in USA fleet agreements and projects.

Todd Haberland, Management Council Rep for Fermi, poses with Tom Joyce, Chairman of the USA Board of Directors