DTE will build a solar power array on 10 acres of vacant land in Detroit.
The utility says it will be one of the largest urban solar power projects in the country, producing enough electricity to power about 450 homes.
The array will be located at the former O'Shea Park, near I-96 and Greenfield Road.
The utility will pay the city $1 million over 20 years to lease the land, and the deal also requires DTE to develop a new community park, and provide STEM education, workforce development and energy efficiency programs to benefit the local community.
Both DTE and Consumers Energy are interested in developing solar power, despite Michigan being a rather cloudy state. Solar projects produce electricity during the day, where wind produces a lot of energy during the night.
Plus, the cost of solar energy installations have plummeted in the past decade.
DTE's press release says the utility has other solar projects in the works:
Along with this solar project, DTE has four other solar projects currently under development, including an array in Ypsilanti, one at the GM Warren Transmission plant, and two large-scale projects in Lapeer. One of the Lapeer solar arrays will be the largest energy company-owned solar array east of the Mississippi River. By the end of the year, DTE will have 31 solar arrays in operation capable of generating enough clean energy to power more than 14,000 homes.
