ISABELLA CO., Mich. (WNEM) – DTE Energy is getting ready to expand its renewable energy footprint in mid-Michigan in a really big way.

The energy company is building a solar farm in Isabella County that will power tens of thousands of homes there and in neighboring counties. The solar farm is expected to generate 158 megawatts of green energy, but officials say it will also benefit the community’s bottom line.

”This particular project will be about three times larger than our current largest active project running,” said Joe Masullam, DTE’s Vice President of Renewable Energy.

DTE is going big on its newest renewable energy project. On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the company broke ground in Mt. Pleasant at its Mission Road Park where it’s going to install 350,000 solar panels, which is enough to power up almost 40,000 homes.

Masullam said the farm will help power different parts of the economy in the area and improve tax revenues for local municipalities and farmers alike.

“For a lot of these farmers, this is a way for them to be able to keep land in their families if maybe their next generation doesn’t want to farm, or maybe they’re ready to hang up their boots for a little bit,” he said.

“That’s economic development in a classic way. Also 300 construction jobs, and they’ll be permanent jobs when the project is finished,” said James McBryde, president of Middle Michigan Economic Development.

DTE will utilize about a 1,000 acres at Mission Road Park and plans to have the solar farm fully operational next year.

The company has a recent history of working with people in Isabella County.

“This particular area, we received a really strong outpouring from the farmers and from the landowners in the community, and we received a ton of support from the local government. And in most cases, that’s the difference,” Masullam said.

That’s something McBryde can attest to. The organization covers four counties and has worked with DTE in the past.

He said DTE’s 176-or-so wind turbines in Isabella County generate more than 200 megawatts of clean energy – and money.

“That provides over a million dollars in revenue for the county, which has been tremendous for them,” McBryde said.

“Beyond excited to be able to see the tax revenues and the benefits come to the farmers and the folks that we’ve become close to and friends over the last couple of months,” Masullam said.

This is just one of six solar panel projects for DTE.

Overall, the projects are expected to produce enough clean energy to power more than 200,000 homes.

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