New facility will generate enough renewable
energy to power 40,000 homes
JACKSON,
Mich., March 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers
Energy and the Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center announced
today their partnership to develop the company's first large-scale
solar project, which will begin construction in April and be fully
operational in 2026. The Muskegon Solar Energy Center will be a
250-megawatt facility capable of supplying clean, renewable
electricity — enough to power approximately 40,000 homes — and is
part of the build-up to Consumers Energy achieving its goal of
bringing 8,000 megawatts of solar online by 2040.
"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.
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to
ConsumersEnergy.com.
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SOURCE Consumers Energy