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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Dec. 12, 2024
Jeff Johnston, EGLE Public Information Officer, [email protected], 517-231-9304
Renewables Ready Communities Awards support seven townships
Funding accompanies the build-out of enough utility-scale solar and battery storage to power more than 800,000 Michigan households
LANSING, Michigan —Today, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced the second round of Renewables Ready Communities Awards (RRCA). The second round of awards from the program will support the deployment of over 808 megawatts (MW) of solar and battery storage – enough clean energy to power more than 800,000 Michigan households and businesses.
“Today’s awards support townships that chose to host these projects, providing them flexible resources to make critical investments in their communities,” said EGLE Director Phil Roos. “The Renewables Ready Communities Award program is a win, win, win: supporting our communities; lowering energy costs; and protecting our land, air, and water.”
RRC awards aim to accelerate the buildout of large-scale renewable energy projects – such as wind, solar, and storage – by providing flexible incentives to local units of government that permit and host the projects. RRC awards are provided in addition to the tax revenue and community benefits already received by host communities.
The second round totaled $4.04 million, supporting seven local units of government for the following projects:
- Steelhead Solar
- Marcellus Township, Cass County, $1 million.
- Crockery Creek Solar
- Moorland Township, Muskegon County, $750,000.
- Coldwater River Solar
- Ovid Township, Branch County, $449,000.
- Coldwater Township, Branch County, $281,250.
- Fish Creek Solar
- Bushnell Township, Montcalm County, $330,000.
- Evergreen Township, Montcalm County, $330,000.
- Tibbits Energy Storage
- Coldwater Township, Branch County, $500,000.
- Beecher Solar
- Raisin Charter Township, Lenawee County, $400,000.
These awards allow communities to make improvements and offer additional services to their residents. Examples include road and bridge repairs, fire department upgrades, park and playground enhancements, accessibility accommodations and grounds improvements, energy upgrades for public buildings, and streetlight upgrades.
“Raisin Charter Township is so thankful to EGLE for making this award possible, said Supervisor Tom Hawkins. “This award will be extremely beneficial to the township for improving road projects, public safety, and other essential services for our residents. The Renewables Ready Communities Award is a great way to incentivize communities to work together to increase renewable energy production in Michigan.”
In Branch County’s Ovid Township, Supervisor Ben Losinski said the $449,000 award will purchase the township’s first-ever weather alert sirens and a new fire truck for shared coverage with a neighboring township. “This allows the township to do good things to help out with safety and pay for these projects,” Losinski said.
Today’s announcements follow the program’s first awards in October 2024, totaling $3.5 million to nine communities, supporting enough solar energy to power 700,000 homes and businesses. To date, the program has provided awards to 16 townships and counties across the state’s two peninsulas that are hosting enough renewable energy to power 1.5 million households.
Deploying renewable energy at scale is essential to meeting the state’s MI Healthy Climate Plan goals. The RRCA is key to meeting the state’s 60% renewable energy and 100% clean energy standards set under recently enacted clean energy laws, supporting Michigan’s diverse, affordable energy portfolio.
Ongoing funding opportunity
There is no deadline to apply for this funding opportunity. RRC awards will remain available until funds are depleted.
For more information on the RRCA, including eligibility requirements, funding amounts, and awardee obligations, visit EGLE’s Renewables Ready Communities Award website.
Earlier this year, EGLE was awarded $129.1 million from the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program to support the following:
- Scaling up the RRCA program.
- Launching a pilot to build renewable energy projects on brownfields.
- Strengthening EGLE’s Renewable Energy Academy that provides technical assistance for local and tribal governments to improve planning, siting, and permitting processes for renewable energy facilities.
- Supporting clean energy-related workforce development programs.
- Developing a comprehensive strategy to meet the state’s 60% renewable energy by 2030 goals.
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