Sauk Solar is located in central Michigan’s Branch County and is the company’s largest operational solar project, trebling its second-largest solar PV plant. It has nearly 347,000 solar panels.

This project, along with the other five PV parks under construction, is funded by customers enrolled in DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower programme, which is one of the largest voluntary renewable energy programmes in the US, according to the company. Its programme has nearly 100,000 residential and 1,900 business customers enrolled.

DTE Energy aims to add over 2.4GW of new solar PV and wind capacity to support the enrollments over the next ten years.

Matt Paul, president and chief operating officer at DTE Electric, said: “Building out these parks is not only a critical step in ending our use of coal by 2032, but it will also help us meet our sustainability goals and deliver the clean, Michigan-made renewable energy our customers want.”

As the company targets to retire its coal plant by 2032, it moves forward with the construction of solar PV capacity in Michigan. Last year, DTE Energy received approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission for its plan to add 6.5GW of solar capacity by 2042. On top of adding solar PV capacity in the coming decades, the company also targets to install nearly 2GW of energy storage by 2042.

Solar PV capacity additions in the state of Michigan have primarily been driven through utility-scale solar projects such as Sauk Solar. Data from trade association the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) puts Michigan in the middle of US states in terms of installed capacity, with 1.5GW as of the end of the second quarter of 2024. In the coming five years, SEIA predicts 3.5GW of solar PV additions in Michigan, the 17^th most US state.

Solar PV additions will play an important role in the state as it aims to reach 100% of its energy demand through renewable energy sources by 2040. Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, signed a number of bills in November 2023, that will significantly increase the contribution of renewable energy to Michigan’s energy mix and set the 100% target by 2040.