BWL seeking solar power partners for largest solar energy installation in state
Utility wants to add 5 megawatts
LANSING The Board of Water & Light said Thursday it wants to add five megawatts of solar power to its energy portfolio.
BWL said it is seeking proposals for partners to build one large solar array, a distributed solar program, a community based solar project or another format.
A five-megawatt solar energy installation would be the largest in Michigan and would be approximately five times larger than the next largest array in the state, BWL said.
The city-owned utility would enter into a long-term, power-purchase agreement with the winning bidder and plans to have the project online by the summer of 2016.
BWL General Manager Peter Lark said he was looking forward to seeing “the innovative projects that are submitted.”
BWL said it was the first Michigan utility to develop a renewable portfolio standard. Adding solar generation would keep BWL on track to meet the state-mandated 10 percent renewable energy goal by 2015, the company said.
BWL’s renewable energy portfolio includes the Moores Park hydroelectric unit along and the Cedar Street solar array in Lansing. BWL REO Town headquarters and cogeneration plant has solar panels on the roof and a regenerative hydrogen fuel cell.
BWL also buys electricity from landfill-gas projects operated by Granger in Lansing. BWL said it is adding a wind component, which will begin production this fall.