Here’s another angle on the CO2 rent-seeking game. DTE Energy, Michigan’s largest utility, has announced that it will aggressively pursue construction for the first nuclear power plant in the U.S. in almost thirty years on one condition: That Michigan re-regulate its utility sector and DTE is returned to its pre-dereg monopoly status.

The proposed 1,500 MW plant would double the nuke units at its Monroe facility (south of Detroit), meeting future demand without contributing to alleged global warming, explained CEO Tony Earley last week.

For DTE, global warming is a business opportunity. Earley says de-regulation in the U.S. is broken and the company will only commit the $3 billion estimated cost of a new plant if guaranteed the cost returns of a regulated market.

In more global warming-related comments, Earley said DTE is anticipating a state legislative mandate that 20 percent of electric generation come from “sustainable” resources. DTE is currently looking into adding 1,200 MW of wind energy. That would nearly equal the capacity of a new nuke plant – and some ten percent of DTE’s total generating capacity.

The key word there being “capacity.” In actuality, the wind farm (because the wind doesn’t blow 24-7) will operate at only 25 percent efficiency (just 300 MW) versus a nuke’s 100 percent efficiency (1,500 MW all day long).