BRANCH COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – DTE Energy has officially completed construction on the $194 million, 100-megawatt Cold Creek Solar Park on Fremont Road, driving massive financial benefits into the community.
Spanning Coldwater, Quincy, and Butler townships, the newly completed project will generate millions of dollars in new tax revenue over its 25-year lifespan to fund essential public infrastructure, schools, roads, and first responders.
Host communities are already seeing direct dollar allocations; for example, the Quincy Township Board recently approved a 20-year community benefit agreement that secures $98,000 annually in dedicated public project funding, which comes in addition to standard payment in lieu of taxes (PILT) revenues set at $7,000 per megawatt.
DTE president and chief operating officer Matt Paul during Thursdays ribbon cutting “Cold Creek Solar Park represents more than a new renewable energy project. It reflects what’s possible when customers and energy providers work together to accelerate Michigan’s clean energy future,”
The completion of the facility also serves as a milestone for Ford Motor Company, which funded the development through its enrollment in DTE’s CleanVision MIGreenPower voluntary renewables initiative. As part of a historic agreement to purchase up to 650 megawatts of renewable energy from DTE Energy, Ford intends to utilize the power generated by Cold Creek to achieve its aggressive decarbonization targets.
With this park now online, both companies project that by the end of 2027, every Ford vehicle manufactured across the state of Michigan will be assembled using the equivalent of 100% carbon-free electricity.
Comments