Groups in Michigan partner with utility to reclaim wetlands in 85 MW solar plan.
The legacy of fossil fuel plants may be a mixed blessing in a region in terms of historic economic opportunities versus future sustainability, but many of these communities have moved on to renewable alternatives. In the meantime, the heavy footprints of some of these legacy plants are being alleviated through community action and involvement by environmental organizations.
In Michigan, the Saginaw Basin Land Conservancy (SBLC) and partners have devised a program with Consumers Energy build a solar plant on land around two shuttered coal plants. The rest of the land at the Dan E. Karn power facility will be returned to a natural state, including wetlands and riverine ecologies.
Consumers Energy retired the coal units on the site in June 2023, leaving two natural gas facilities to operate at periods of peak demand through 2031. The utility will work with SBLC to identify waterfront acreage from the decommissioning that can be accessed for public recreational and conservational space, marking the first time in decades that these lands and their waterfront will be accessible to the community.
Consumers Energy says it aims to make the solar power facility operational by 2026. The 85 MW plant will produce enough electricity to power 20,000 homes. A representative told pv magazine USA that the utility has hired an engineering, procurement and construction firm and are finalizing site plans, expecting to submit a special land use permit next month.
The redevelopment plan prioritizes community involvement in the area through outdoor activity centers, according to SBLC, linking the new site to the regional trail network and increasing public access to the Saginaw Bay waterfront. The project also dedicates hundreds of acres to habitat restoration efforts while reserving some areas for commercial or mixed-use development.
“The area around the Dan E. Karn site is flourishing with wildlife and offers countless recreational opportunities for the community,” said Zachary Branigan, executive director of the SBLC.
“The plan to transform the historic Dan E. Karn coal plant site on the Saginaw Bay into greenways for public enjoyment and recreation, and clean, solar energy generation is a win-win for the future,” said Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center, which is partnering with SBLC on the project.
