Upper Peninsula Power to purchase energy from new solar plant in Michigan

Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) recently announced that it entered into an agreement with Chandler Solar Project LLC for the purchase of renewable energy generated by a new 125-megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar energy facility in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The solar project, in combination with the company’s existing hydroelectric generation resources, increases the amount of renewable energy delivered to UPPCO customers to more than 50 percent of total consumption by the end of 2022. UPPCO expects that the project will save customers more than $20 million in energy costs over the next 25 years.

The project, which will be located in Escanaba Township, is part of the company’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which is currently pending before the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC).

UPPCO began holding a series of public listening forums in 2018 to gather input on how best to source its energy requirements in the future and to inform the development of its IRP, the company said.

“This is a great project that lowers energy costs for our customers and is better for the environment, two of the most important messages we heard from our customers,” CEO Jim Larsen said.

The company expects construction to begin in 2021 with a 2022 in-service date.

The project is contingent on final approvals from the MPSC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other state and local governmental entities.

Chandler Solar Project LLC is a joint venture between affiliates of Orion Renewable Energy Group LLC and MAP Energy, LLC.