By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
CARO — A new, and different, alternative energy project is on the horizon in Tuscola County.
Wells Township Planning Commission will host a public hearing 7 p.m., Monday, March 24, at the township hall at 2190 Frankford Road, Caro, on a proposed solar project.
The purpose of the hearing is to consider a petition submitted by Nova Consultants, Inc., on behalf of Thumb Electric Cooperative (TEC) for an industrial rezoning request to install a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic electric generating system.
If approved, the solar system would be developed on property south of Thumb Electric Cooperative’s plant at 2437 East Dayton Rd., Caro.
For those who cannot attend the meeting, written comments can be submitted to the planning commission at 2347 Ross Rd., Caro, MI 48723.
TEC is a membership owned entity that dates back 77 years to when 90 percent of the rural Thumb area was without electricity and oil lamps were the norm. In 1937, a group of farmers organized Thumb Electric Cooperative to provide electricity to farm families where Investor Owned Utilities would not serve.
TEC obtained loan funds from the Rural Electrification Administration to help build generating plants, lines and substations to serve 5,000 members in Huron, Sanilac and Tuscola Counties. Today, the company has over serves over 12,000 members in the Thumb’s three counties.
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser.