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Consumers Energy Powers Up 250 MW Muskegon Solar, Its Largest Array to Date

Built on 1,900 acres of active wastewater land, the project showcases large-scale solar siting that preserves farmland.

Overview

  • Consumers Energy said Jan. 5 it energized the 250 MW Muskegon Solar Energy Center at the county’s Resource Recovery Center, supplying power equivalent to about 40,000 homes.
  • The array spans 1,900 acres of an active wastewater treatment site, repurposing buffer and irrigation fields rather than prime farmland.
  • More than 550,000 bifacial panels on single-axis trackers feed a new 34.5/138‑kV collector substation and a half‑mile 138‑kV transmission line tied into the MISO grid.
  • The build, led by Burns & McDonnell with union labor through AZCO, cost about $350 million and supported over 200 construction jobs.
  • Muskegon County approved a 28‑year lease with 2% annual increases and a renewal option, and the project received a $1.5 million state grant that supports local government and schools.