Here's the latest on future solar farms in Branch County
BRANCH COUNTY — Construction on the Sauk Solar project in Union Township is nearing completion, and work on two more major solar farms could begin this summer.
DTE representative Jeff Haines said construction of the 150-megawatt project, on 1,100 acres off Burlington Road in Union Township, "is nearing completion. They started doing all the testing to make sure everything's together."
Two more projects are nearing construction for this summer.
Bethel Township and the Branch County Road Commission issued permits for work on the Northstar project.
Township zoning supervisor Matt Ashenfelter said the company will begin construction on Branch Solar LLC's 200-megawatt solar farm on 1,546 acres along Lockwood Road for Consumers Energy.
Road Commission Manager Jay Miller said the company signed an agreement to pay for repairs on all roads damaged by the heavy equipment. Miller designated Batavia Road as the access to the project off of U.S. 12 for delivery of equipment and supplies.
Miller is waiting for road repair agreements and final plans to issue permits for Apex Clean Energy's project.
Both Coldwater and Ovid Township permitted Apex to begin work on its Coldwater River Solar farm.
Apex Solar hopes to proceed with constructing the 150-megawatt solar farm on land north of Garfield Road, which will cover both townships.
Miller needs to finalize permits and designate roads for equipment to enter the sites from I-69 and Angola Road.
Apex has yet to confirm who will receive the solar power, but DTE Energy is now monitoring the progress of Coldwater River Solar development.
Apex development manager Connor Podkul said the Coldwater River Solar farm construction should begin this summer.
Haines said DTE leased land in Quincy, Bulter, and Coldwater townships for another project of just under 100 megawatts. "Engineering is underway on that project," but there is no firm timetable yet.
Haines said DTE included Girard Township land but ran into environmental problems.
Batavia Township issued permits in 2023 after developing a solar ordinance.
Completed Branch County solar farms
There are a few solar farms already in operation in the county — two in Ovid Township, one in Batavia Township and one in Coldwater.
Pinegate Renewables sold Consumers Energy power output of just under one megawatt from its Woodley Solar project on half of the 10-acre plot leased south of Pearl Road.
Pinegate built its first project, a two-megawatt solar farm on 20 acres north of the substation at 546 S. Angola Road.
Grid operator Midwest Independent System Operator allowed both projects without usual MISO permitting because their small size did not impact or require large transmission improvements to the power grid.
Both began operation in 2021.
The first solar project in Branch County came in 2017 when NextEra Energy Resources LLC installed 1.6 megawatts of solar cells on the former Marmon Foundry site off Hooker Street in Coldwater.
American Municipal Power leased the site for power for its members, including Coldwater.
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Coldwater Board of Public Utilities is considering a nine-megawatt project east of I-69 on land CBPU owns between Michigan and Newton roads.
Branch County was chosen for solar projects because of the network of grid lines through the county.
— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Branch County will host over 600 hundred megawatts of solar farms
