U.S. utility DTE Energy has completed construction of the 80-megawatt Pine River Solar Park in Pine River Township, Michigan, the company said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the site.
The facility, which features more than 180,000 solar panels, is expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 20,000 homes. It is the second of three solar parks DTE plans to connect to the grid in 2025, with five additional projects currently under construction.
“This is further evidence that DTE is the state’s leading investor and operator of renewable energy,” said Matt Paul, president and chief operating officer of DTE Electric. “The completion of Pine River Solar will be another milestone in what has been DTE’s most active period of renewable development in its history.”
The Pine River project is part of DTE’s CleanVision MIGreenPower program, Michigan’s largest voluntary community solar initiative. The utility says rising customer demand for clean energy is helping drive its progress toward achieving net-zero carbon emissions and meeting the state’s renewable energy target of 60% by 2035.
DTE said the new solar park will contribute to local tax revenues in Gratiot County and Pine River Township, supporting public services such as schools, road maintenance, and emergency response.
Since 2009, DTE’s investments in renewable energy have supported an estimated 20,000 jobs across Michigan. The company has enrolled nearly 100,000 residential and 1,600 business customers in its MIGreenPower program, with plans to add more than 2,400 megawatts of wind and solar capacity over the next decade.
