Groveland Mine Solar
Groveland Mine Solar will be located entirely on mining waste and lands impacted by the former Groveland Mine
At a Glance
120 MWdc (100MWac)
17,600 homes powered
$12.7 million in guaranteed local property taxes
Project Timeline
2020
Site Selection
2023
Groveland Mine Solar permitted in Felch, Norway, and Sagola Townships
2024
$150,000 in Groveland Grants Funded
2027
Construction Starts
2028
Project Operation
Proud Partners of the U.P. Building Trades Council
Groveland Mine Solar has signed a letter of intent with the Upper Peninsula Building Trades Council to guarantee that the project will be constructed with union labor.
"We understand that the Council supports the Project, and that the Project will be constructed under the terms of a Project Labor Agreement negotiated with the Council... the Project will provide good, safe and efficient jobs."
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"For more than 100 years, Operating Engineers 324 (OE 324) has worked to keep Michigan running. Our over 14,000 members – Heavy Equipment Operators and Technicians - build the highways, bridges, factories, and utilities across this great state from Marquette to Monroe..."
"The Groveland Mine Solar project is a great opportunity – for the townships, for the Upper Peninsula, and for the skilled working people of the region."
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"LIUNA Local 1329, which represents over 800 members across the Upper Peninsula, is a strong advocate for projects that strengthen communities by creating family-supporting union jobs. Working with LIUNA, members have opportunities for advancement and a ladder to the middle class."
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"We write to express our support of the Groveland Mine Solar project. The Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters & Millwrights represents 13,000, including five-hundred members in the Upper Peninsula and more than 50 that are Dickinson County residents... We find that our members, and residents of this region, want environmental protection and economic development as well as affordable electricity."
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"The proposed solar farm will turn an abandoned industrial site to a clean energy producing site. The farm is a big investment in the region that will create well-paying construction jobs... IBEW 906 represents 350 members across the UP of which 160 workers live in Iron and Dickinson Counties."
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"Groveland Mine Solar has entered into an agreement with the U.P. Building Trades Council to guarantee that the project will be constructed with skilled union labor and provide good, safe and efficient jobs."
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"If fully constructed, Groveland Mine Solar will cost in excess of $100 million to build. It is a major investment in the region that will create construction jobs and boost revenues to local taxing entities... We look forward to working on Groveland Mine Solar."
Full Access to Groveland Ponds
All DNR Roads will remain accessible, from project construction to operation.
Visitors will enjoy the same access to the Groveland Ponds that they enjoy today, and no Michigan DNR forest roads will be closed — even during construction.
Though the areas immediately surrounding the solar arrays will be fenced, visitors to nearby hunting and fishing habitats will continue to have the same access to Michigan DNR forest roads near the solar array clusters that they have today, allowing for continued recreational enjoyment of the area."
From Brownfield to "Brightfield"
Groveland Mine Solar Gives Historic Mining Site New Life
Brownfield sites are often difficult to redevelop due to their previous use – but, through the installation of solar farms, they become “brightfields” that create taxable value for local entities and produce low-cost, renewable energy. Click here to see historic photos and learn more about how the site will be repurposed for Groveland Mine Solar.