UPPCO presents details about new solar facility to the Republic Township community
REPUBLIC TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) — The Upper Peninsula Power Company is planning a solar project in Marquette County.
On Thursday UPPCO held a presentation to talk about what its solar project entails.
Manager of Communications and External Affairs Dan Freeborn, says UPPCO is looking to lease around 500 acres from a landowner.
“It’s expected to generate 62 and a half megawatts of power that will be spread throughout the grid that we will share here throughout UPPCO’s service territory,” Freeborn said.
Freeborn says this project will be built to fulfill Michigan’s clean energy law.
He says the law requires us to be at 60% renewable generation by 2035, and 100% clean energy by 2040
“This solar project will be added to our current renewable portfolio that we have,” Freeborn said. “Currently, we have seven electric facilities that generate power and about 20% of our electricity for UPPCO customers across our service territory.”
Freeborn is eager to make use of the remaining resources from the old town’s mine.
“We aren’t anticipating any deforestation efforts to make this project come to fruition, which is a great benefit to this community,” Freeborn said. “We are keeping the U.P. the way it is. I believe that’s why people live here, and we are proud to be able to keep that legacy and continue the history of mining and using it and repurposing it for solar power.”
Republic Township office manager Samantha Alto says she believes if built, this project would benefit and bring money into the community.
“It will be bringing in tax revenue and that will help our township so that we can further develop things and be able to go forward using that money towards building this community back up,” Alto said.
Alto says the community’s reaction to this project has been a mix of positive and negative reviews.
The project is still in its early development, but Freeborn says it should be fully functional by 2027.
Copyright 2025 WLUC. All rights reserved.