On January 7th, 2026, Consumers Energy officially opened the 250 Megawatt Muskegon Solar Energy Center, which is the state of Michigan's largest solar project built on the site of an active Wastewater Treatment Plant in Muskegon County. As part of this initiative, Consumers Energy has created a space for the development of innovative ways to use Land as a resource without taking away productive farmland or land that has yet to be developed.
The Muskegon Solar Energy Center will help to generate renewable energy and to support the Clean Energy Partnership in Michigan by helping Michigan to achieve its greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals as well as generating revenue to be shared between Muskegon County and Moorland Township, which have both leased the land where the project is built. Revenue generated from this project can also be utilized to help support local projects for both Muskegon County and Moorland Township, as well as for the Ravenna School District.
Innovative Use of Marginal Land
The project's location is its most defining feature. The Muskegon County Resource Recovery Center is a one-of-a-kind, 11,000-acre facility that has treated regional wastewater for over 50 years using a "living filter" system. Wastewater is naturally treated through a series of lagoons and is then used to irrigate vast crop fields, with the cleaned water eventually returned to the Muskegon River.
The solar array was constructed on unused portions of this land - primarily buffer zones and irrigation fields - demonstrating a model of infrastructure stacking where clean energy generation coexists with essential municipal water services. This approach avoids land-use conflicts and provides a stable economic return on otherwise marginal land.
"This project is a testament to the skill and dedication of the local men and women building it," said Chad Cotter, a vice president at Burns & McDonnell, the project's engineering, procurement, and construction firm.
Technical Specifications and Local Impact
Over 550,000 bifacial solar panels made by First Solar have been installed at the solar plant in Michigan. These photovoltaic systems capture the sun's rays from both sides for increased efficiency and are installed on single axis horizontal tracking system manufactured by Array Technologies to keep the panels aligned with the path of the sun between sunrise and sunset during the day to create maximum output of energy.
During the construction of the solar facility, more than 200 jobs were created for local and unionized employees and provided a strong boost to the economy in the area, as well as to the entire state of Michigan during that time. The electricity generated at the solar center is sent to the state's electrical grid through a new 138 kilovolt substation and transmission line extending 1/2 mile from the facility.
Strategic Importance for Michigan's Energy Future
This solar facility represents a key point in Michigan's long-term energy goals as part of Consumers Energy's Clean Energy Plan. The utility company serves 6.8 million customers across Michigan and has established goals to completely eliminate coal from their energy sources by 2025 and increase its solar capacity by 8,000 megawatts by 2040.
"Muskegon Solar provides an example of the reliable, cost-effective projects we're creating to make sure we continue to meet our customers' needs," said Sri Maddipati, Consumers Energy's President of Electric Supply.
The Muskegon project is the largest among several solar initiatives currently underway by Consumers Energy, including installations at Western Michigan University, Grand Valley State University, and in Cadillac.
A Model for the Nation
The successful combination of a large-scale solar energy facility with an operating sewage treatment facility represents a significant success for other communities throughout the country. This is an example of a viable way to locate large renewable energy facilities while allowing other important land uses to continue.
As many municipalities throughout the country are challenged by old water infrastructure and an increasing need for clean energy, the Muskegon Solar Energy Center will serve as an example of how to create sustainable harmony by turning limited land availability into opportunities for innovative dual-purpose projects. Companies such as Consumers Energy and its partners are looking to find additional ways to increase solar energy generation on underutilized public and industrial lands throughout Michigan.
