By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
CARO — A new, and different, alternative energy project is on the horizon in Tuscola County.
DTE Energy and the Thumb Electric Cooperative (TEC) will soon break ground on a 665-kilowatt solar energy system on property owned by Thumb Electric outside of Caro.
The $2.5 million solar energy system, with more than 2,600 photovoltaic modules, will cover more than three acres and connect directly with the DTE Energy electric grid. The solar installation will have the capacity equivalent to what is needed to power approximately 100 homes when it’s completed in October.
The solar system will be developed on property south of Thumb Electric Cooperative’s plant at 2437 East Dayton Rd., Caro.
The array is part of DTE Energy’s “SolarCurrents,” which is a pilot program that calls for the installation of utility scale photovoltaic systems on customer rooftops or property.
When completed, the solar farm will be the 21st solar installation built in DTE Energy’s Southeast Michigan service area, the fifth in Michigan’s Thumb area and the first in Tuscola County. All are owned, operated and maintained by DTE Energy.
SolarCurrents project outside of Caro will be 665-kilowatt installation, and the pilot program’s second-largest.
“We are excited about this project for several reasons. First and foremost, it allows both utilities to continue a direct business relationship that has grown over the past several decades,” said TEC general manager Dallas Braun. “The system will be owned and operated by DTE, but it will be constructed on our property, thus allowing TEC to play an important role in this renewable energy project.
“We will also be allowed access to a portion of the array so we can provide educational tours for schools and community groups.”
DTE Energy will have 15,000 kilowatts (kW) of solar energy in its renewable portfolio by 2015 through the utility-owned projects.
“We’re looking forward to working with Thumb Electric and continuing our efforts to meet Michigan’s renewable energy goals,” said Irene Dimitry, DTE Energy vice president, Marketing and Renewables. “Although we’ve found that the cost of solar energy is currently far more expensive than wind energy, this pilot program has allowed us to learn about the technology and help grow the solar industry in Michigan.”
DTE Energy expects to invest more than $2 billion by 2015 to build or purchase nearly 1,000 MW of Michigan based renewable energy. In addition to the solar installations, DTE Energy has acquired or built wind parks and other green energy facilities across the state.
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. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.