From Blight to Bright: Michigan Explores Solar Power on Brownfield Sites

Inside Climate News · By Douglas J. Guth · last updated May 5, 2025 – 1:02 AM

Renewable energy supporters see massive untapped potential for solar technology at former industrial locations.

By Douglas J. Guth

Michigan has 24,000 known contaminated sites, a legacy of heavy manufacturing where industries carelessly discarded hazardous materials with minimal regulatory oversight. Taxpayers are often left to clean up these abandoned locations, known as brownfields, while the sheer volume of toxic sites has overwhelmed state regulators.

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