DETROIT – The city of Detroit has put out requests for information from solar developers to see what the possibilities were to construct 250 acres of solar panels in order to power all city buildings.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan outlined what the city was looking for at a community meeting at Second Ebenezer Baptist Church Wednesday (June 28) night.
The city was interested in two options:
- Build a 250-acre solar farm out of state or,
- Could those 250 acres be put within the city limits on blighted or empty properties?
The city was in a seeking information stage.
“I want to leave the decision to the community,” said Duggan.
He anticipates it to take three months to get proposals back from solar developers to see what they believe is possible.
If developers say it’s doable, the city would ask various neighborhoods interested in having solar fields in their community to go through a process ensuring it’s what a majority wants.
There would also be community benefits for neighborhoods that wanted in, like money for parks, home repairs, and putting solar in neighboring homes.
Solar technology is expensive, and the city was considering it at this time because the federal government is willing to pick up nearly 50% of the bill.
Currently, Detroit spends about nine million dollars a year on electricity to power its municipal buildings.