The Detroit City Council has greenlit the second phase of a solar project aimed at boosting clean energy in local neighborhoods
Detroit: The City Council just gave the thumbs up for the second phase of its solar farms project. This comes right after Mayor Mike Duggan shared the news about the neighborhoods involved.
DTE Energy and Lightstar Renewables are set to transform land in the Houston-Whitter/Hayes and Greenfield Park areas into solar fields. The goal? To generate enough energy to cover the electricity needs of 127 city buildings. Greenfield Park will have 42 acres of solar panels, while Houston-Whittier/Hayes will feature about 19 acres.
Councilmember Angela Whitfield-Calloway was the only one to vote against it. Interestingly, Council President Mary Sheffield and Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero had opposed the first phase but didn’t raise any objections this time around.
One resident felt he was offered too little for his property and asked for an extra $15,000. Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett reassured the council that the city made a fair offer and kept in touch with the property owner throughout.
During the public comments, opinions were mixed. Some folks suggested putting solar panels on their rooftops instead, while others saw this as a positive step toward clean energy. They also reminded the council about other pressing issues, like affordable housing.
Homeowners near the solar fields will get energy-efficient upgrades. All 11 homeowners affected in this second phase agreed to move. Trisha Stein, the chief strategy officer, mentioned that 156 homes from the first phase will also receive upgrades by the end of the year. So far, they’ve done 27 assessments and plan to keep that pace.
Stein explained that they’re taking a comprehensive look at each home’s energy use to figure out how to spend the $15,000 to $25,000 on upgrades. They expect to finish the 156 homes by year-end.
The second phase will help at least 70 homeowners in Houston-Whittier/Hayes and 36 in Greenfield Park. The city is also teaming up with urban farmers to find spots for growing crops alongside the solar fields.
According to Mallett, the city needs 965 parcels, including 245 homes. They’ve made 100 offers but are currently dealing with two lawsuits claiming the condemnation process isn’t valid. Still, Mallett believes the project has been quite successful.
Stein mentioned that residents can expect to see land clearing and the installation of fencing and panels starting in the spring and summer.
Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: dafana@freepress.com. Follow her: @DanaAfana.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit City Council approves solar neighborhoods project
