MOORLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- The Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center is partnering with Consumers Energy to launch a Solar Energy Center.
Consumers spokeswoman Tracy Wimmer told WOOD Radio construction will begin next month and the 250-megawatt facility will be fully operational in 2026.
"It's huge. And it makes very significant progress toward our goal of having 8,000 megawatts of solar online in the next 16 years," she said.
Consumers Energy said the project will cover about 1,900 acres of land in Moorland Township, and will supply enough renewable electricity to power about 40,000 homes.
"It's a significant step forward and we know it allows us to make better choices for the planet while still maintaining and strengthening our energy grid," Wimmer said.
Here are more details provided in a Consumers Energy news release:
“Consumers Energy has some of the most aggressive clean energy goals in the nation, and projects like this are a critical part of achieving those goals,” said David Hicks, Consumers Energy vice president of clean energy development. “Partnering with an organization like the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center, with its long history of service to the county, combined with the benefits of solar energy and the revenues this agreement can provide, is truly a win-win for all parties.”
The project will use approximately 1,900 acres of land within the Resource Recovery Center’s footprint, in partnership with Moorland Township, presenting an opportunity for a unique collaboration between the three entities to continue providing clean water — and now, clean, renewable energy — for the local community.
The Resource Recovery Center is a one-of-a-kind facility that has reliably treated wastewater in the region for 50 years and includes a working farm that utilizes spray irrigation on crops as part of the treatment process.
“This solar farm fulfills the vision of the Muskegon County Commissioners,” said Dave Johnson, director of the Resource Recovery Center. “It will benefit the users of the Muskegon County wastewater system as well as Moorland Township and the Ravenna School District. The solar project seems like a good fit ― it’s something we’re proud of and thankful for.”
Consumers will own and operate the project while leasing the property beneath it, generating a significant source of ongoing revenue for the Resource Recovery Center, Moorland Township, and Muskegon County at large. For more information about the company’s solar plans and how they benefit Michigan communities, click here.
Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties. Consumers Energy’s Clean Energy Plan calls for eliminating coal as an energy source in 2025, achieving net-zero carbon emissions and meeting 90 percent of customers’ energy needs through clean sources, including wind and solar.
###