DTE Union Township solar farm under construction draws protest

UNION TWP. — Construction is underway on the DTE Energy 150 MW Sauk Solar Park in Union Township. The Detroit-area power provider hopes to have it operational by the end of the year.

The heavy construction prompted some nearby residents to ask the Union Township board at its Tuesday night meeting, Feb. 14, to reconsider adopting zoning for the township.

Contractor Barton-Malow is putting into place construction buildings and a work lot on Burlington Road between Gower and Hayter roads within the township.

A subcontractor will build the electrical substation to connect the power output from the 404 acres of solar arrays to the ITC grid line that runs east-west across the property.

After DTE lost a zoning battle to put in a wind turbine farm in Sherwood, Matteson and Batavia townships, it turned its effort to solar in unzoned Union township.

The size of the leased 1,230 acres for solar is almost the same size as the leased property the company released for its wind project.

The difference is the solar project is all within the northeast corner of just Union Township, which is not zoned. 

Prior story DTE to build 150 MW solar farm in Union Township

The construction underway already caused concerns for Ryan Christy and others who live nearby. At Tuesday’s township board meeting, Christy called the project huge and asked about a township zoning ordinance.

Officials said zoning can only provide reasonable limitations — not stop the project. Christy said, "this is going to be an industrial park.”

Supervisor Ralph Strong said if a petition for a zoning ordinance were proposed and approved, likely the courts would decide what is reasonable after an expensive legal battle.

Because the project is permitted and underway, Sauk Solar would be grandfathered in under any new zoning.

Christy opposed a November 2018 referendum to set up zoning in the township.

“It’s your property. You should be able to do what you want with it,” he said.

When it announced the project last year, DTE Renewable Energy said no solar panel would be placed within 50 feet of a non-participating property or road right-of-way. None would be located within 100 feet of any dwelling.

Jeff Haines from DTE confirmed the setbacks at the township meeting.

DTE said the tracking solar panels would not exceed 15-20 feet high from the base.

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The solar farm will be enclosed within a seven-foot-high security fence. DTE will plant vegetative buffers along the entirety of any non-participating property owner's line at the owner's request and will install gravel access roads.

The company has worked with the Branch County Road Commission and received permits for roads into each parcel which require culverts.

All electrical connections from fields will be underground at a minimum of four feet.

While those townships with zoning drafted requirements for decommissioning and restoration of the property when the solar system is taken out of operation, those are written into the DTE leases.

— Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DReidTDR.

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: DTE Union Township solar farm under construction draws protest