DTE breaks ground on Cold Creek Solar Park
DTE breaks ground on Cold Creek Solar Park
COLDWATER TWP. — DTE Energy and Ford Motor Company executives, with local officials, broke ground Tuesday on the 100-megawatt Cold Creek Solar Park off Jonesville Road.
DTE Vice President of Renewable Energy Joe Musallam said Cold Creek Solar Park will be the first of several DTE parks to help Ford Motor Company move toward 100% carbon-free and renewable energy to its Michigan manufacturing facilities.
For Branch County and the three townships where it’s currently under construction, Musallam said the $194 million project will generate millions of dollars of new tax revenue over the 25-year leases signed by landowners for schools, roads, public works, police and fire.
He thanked public officials for ensuring the project went forward.
Coldwater Township Supervisor Don Rogers said that after the state legislature took control of solar permitting from local governments, DTE came back and agreed to follow more restrictive local ordinances.
“They worked with us to give us that oversight on the project,” he said.
DTE Cold Creek Solar Farm Groundbreaking
On Tuesday, DTE broke ground for the construction of Ford Motor Company’s new Cold Creek 100-megawatt solar farm in Bulter, Coldwater, and Quincy Townships.
The townships received a bond of $1.5 million per megawatt to decommission the project after the leases end or it stops producing power.
New East Solar Energy and Roncelli, Inc. started work this week on the land.
Leased parcels are east of Fiske Road to Ridge Road, between Jonesville Road and just north of U.S. 12.
The project includes:
- Quincy Township: 50 megawatts with 347.61 fenced acres of solar arrays
- Coldwater Township: 43 megawatts with 252.62 fenced acres of solar arrays
- Butler Township: 7 megawatts with 52.2 fenced acres of solar arrays
Four-by-eight-foot panels that collect sun from both sides, 10 feet at the highest, are on poles driven into the ground.
The arrays will track the sun enclosed in seven-foot-high fences, with 20-foot clearances for maintenance.
Musallam said solar farms allow farmers to hold onto farms so that future generations can receive a sustainable, predictable revenue stream.
“We have our commitment when we’re done with our solar park. We’ll return it to the beautiful state that we found it and leave it better than ever,” he said.
Cattleman and farmer Leon Knirk leased land to DTE.
“We’re proud to be part, have our family be supportive of this project…They really try to look out for the ground and the people around it,” he said.
DTE negotiated an easement with the Coldwater Board of Public Utilities for a right-of-way to the Newton Road ITC substation, which was approved for the first of two required readings on Monday night.
The Michigan Public Service Commission estimated that Ford would pay $65 per megawatt for power to DTE.
“Ford’s enrollment in my green power stands as the largest purchase of renewable energy from a utility in United States history,” Musallam said.
DTE Energy plans $4 billion in renewable energy investments in the next several years.
Three new DTE solar parks will go online in 2025, and three will start construction. The six parks will produce 800 megawatts of power.
This is the second DTE solar farm in Branch County. The Sauk Solar Farm near Union City went online last year.
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While Ford will own the capacity from Cold Creek Solar, Musallam said the farm’s power will be distributed on the grid to the closest users in need of power in Branch and surrounding counties.
Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com