Large-scale solar farm sparks some concern over land use, traffic in Calhoun County

LEE TWP., MI — Some Lee Township residents are questioning the necessity of a large-scale Michigan solar farm as initial construction work continues in northern Calhoun County.

Jim Byron, 57, lives on O-Drive North. Byron said he’s concerned about the increasing number of Michigan solar farms, which he believes are consuming too much farmland.

“There’s just too much of it,” Byron said. “And it’s kind of ugly to look at.”

Sitework began in January on the 360-megawatt “Sunfish Solar 2” project.

The solar farm, a joint venture between Jackson-based Consumers Energy and Chicago-based Hecate Energy, will generate enough energy to power approximately 69,000 Michigan homes, officials said.

Related: New solar farm under construction, will power 69K homes in Calhoun County

The project site comprises more than 2,000 acres of Lee Township farmland, with West Baseline Highway and O-Drive North serving as the northern and southern borders, respectively. The western border runs along 20 Mile Road, with 24 Mile Road representing the eastern boundary of developable land.

The exact size of the solar farm has not been finalized. The project might use all or part of the 2,000 acres, depending on space and resource needs, Consumers Energy spokesperson Matt Johnson said.

Mark Sundberg, 65, has lived on his family’s farm along 23 Mile Road for about 30 years. While still unsure how the incoming solar farm will affect him and his family, Sundberg takes issue with the development bringing in a steady stream of heavy trailers and semitrailers hauling gravel and equipment.

“When I’m sitting in my easy chair and those trucks go by and I can feel it shake my house, it gets me a little bit,” Sundberg said. “Then they travel the roads and it’s not good for our vehicles. It’ll get worse once they start really bringing stuff in.”

Bechtel, a Virginia-based global construction company, is handling construction. The target completion date in the second quarter of 2026. The project is expected to create more than 350 unionized construction jobs while generating about $225 million in direct and secondary economic impact, Consumers Energy said in an earlier statement.

“Any project like this provides benefits to the community,” Johnson said. “When we build there, they’re benefitting from the property taxes that we pay. We’re talking about millions of dollars of investment in the local community when we locate a project there.”

The project is expected to contribute upwards of $50 million in direct and indirect labor income to the local economy, Consumers Energy said.

The money raised by the construction and personal property taxes on the site can be used to support services such as local governments, schools and fire departments, Johnson said. Townships that adopt adopt solar projects might also be eligible for additional state incentives through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

“Lee Township is proud to be part of the renewable energy movement through Sunfish Solar 2,” Township Supervisor Brad Shrontz previously said. “This project allows us to embrace the future of energy while creating tangible benefits for our residents, from new employment opportunities to economic development and beyond.”

Sunfish Solar 2 marks Consumers Energy’s second large-scale solar project in Michigan, following the Muskegon Solar Energy Center that began construction in 2024.

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