Consumers Energy’s largest Michigan solar farm will officially break ground in mid-June on a 1,900-acre site at Muskegon County’s Wastewater Treatment property. The proposed 250 megawatt (MW) solar farm will provide enough electricity for about 40,000 homes.
This project didn’t just happen overnight. In 2016, Michigan renewable energy developer Rich Vander Veen, in partnership with Tradewind Energy from Kansas, entered a lease with Muskegon County. The Michigan Sierra Club encouraged the proposed dual use of this property in a letter of support to Muskegon County. The partners conducted some initial studies about solar and possibly wind development on the property.
Consumers Energy purchased the lease in 2018 for a seven year development period. The massive solar farm will create 200 construction jobs over the next two years, providing economic benefits to the county and community. The solar farm will open in 2026.
The science is clear that to have a sustainable future for all living things, our energy mix cannot include fossil fuels. Solar technology has made huge strides over the past few decades and is expected to grow even faster in the coming years. Solar energy is also the least expensive electricity to produce as costs drop and solar technology improves. This solar farm will benefit ratepayers because of the low installation costs, low maintenance fees and no fuel costs.
The Sierra Club, along with ally groups, has encouraged Consumers Energy to be the leading utility in the clean energy arena for nearly 20 years. The utility has indeed become the leader.
Consumers Energy plans to phase out coal, oil and nuclear energy by 2025, which includes closing the large 1,176 MW West Michigan Campbell Coal in May 2025. Consumers Energy also has a long-term goal of generating 8,000 megawatts of solar energy in Michigan by 2040 with similar projects across the state that are financially good for the county and townships and their ratepayers.
The Muskegon County solar farm is a win for the county, the company and the people of Michigan as it demonstrates how we can create a sustainable, fossil-free future.