Title
Resolution To Approve the Development Agreement and Amendment to the Swift Run Service Center Planned Unit Development for the Wheeler Center Solar Array With Pittsfield Charter Township
Memorandum
In furtherance of its sustainability, climate, and clean energy goals, the City has begun pursuing development of an approximately 24 MW solar array at its closed landfill site and surrounding City-owned property, much of which is located in Pittsfield Township and subject to a Planned Unit Development approved by the Township.
The proposed solar array would generate electricity nearly equivalent to that used by the City's municipal facilities and would significantly advance the City's progress toward its sustainability goals.
To bring this project to life, the City has pursued several different parts of the project simultaneously. After initial evaluation of the site and preliminary designs to maximize the solar output from use of the property if developed as a solar array, the City also commissioned DTE to provide engineering and interconnection studies which show the project can be connected into the energy grid provided the project includes system improvements and upgrades to handle this project.
Also, in spring 2021, the City approved a Settlement Agreement with DTE in two MPSC cases in which DTE agreed to create a pilot program which will allow the City's landfill solar array project to become a community solar offering (with optional low-income component) available to other DTE customers under the MI Green Power program. The City will become the "anchor" customer for its solar array project and other customers can choose to participate in the project at the same pricing available to the City. The City and DTE also approved a Memorandum of Understanding in which they agreed to further explore the costs and details (such as required agreements) for the solar array project. That Settlement Agreement was approved by the Michigan Public Service Com...
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