Solar energy park breaks ground near Sheridan

BUSHNELL TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Work to change the landscape of more than 590 acres has started in the Sheridan area.

Officials from DTE Energy, along with leaders and land owners from the area, broke ground on the new Fish Creek Solar Park, a 132-megawatt clean energy facility. The project, led by DTE, is a step toward reaching the company’s — and Michigan’s — renewable energy goals.

“We’ve set very aggressive carbon reduction goals and recently, the state of Michigan passed some legislation that wants to have 60% of our baseload generation powered by renewables by 2030,” Joe Musallam, vice president of renewable energy sales and project development at DTE, said. “This type of project is a step in that direction.”

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The Fish Creek Solar Park, one of three new solar projects recently approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission, will feature around 320,000 solar panels. Once completed, it will generate enough clean energy to power 30,000 homes in Michigan.

Local landowner John Jones leased his 40 acres to DTE for the project. He inherited the farm from his parents and said that rather than using the land to farm corn or soy beans, it will farm energy.

“I look at this as an opportunity that serves not only my immediate family’s needs, but I think it serves the community in general as well, because we as a country are just going to need a lot of energy in the future from all sources and this is one of them,” Jones said. “It’s good for the climate and I believe that anything that increases the overall supply of energy from the supply and demand standpoint is good for the consumer in general because it drives prices down.”

The new solar park comes at no additional cost to customers. It is funded by DTE electric customers who have opted into the MiGreenPower voluntary renewable energy program. The project is expected to be completed within the next year to 18 months.

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