Construction project for DTE’s solar park in northeast Michigan continues

Bulldozers rumble and clatter along gravel roads that contrast with the rolling green hills to the left of the trail. Rows of metal poles line the fields, and the bulldozers are setting down the next building component: solar modules or panels.

This is part of the daily operations of Little Trout Solar Farm, a DTE solar project in Presque Isle County. The project is one of many DTE Energy is working on to advance cleaner energy in the state.

In November 2023, the Presque Isle County Planning Committee approved DTE’s proposal to build on the 800 acres. By a vote of 7 to 1, panel members said it was a “difficult but wise decision.”

Once approved, DTE began preparing for construction. Groundbreaking at Hawks didn’t begin until April 1, and a crew of about 300 people has been installing rows of panels every day since then.

Dan Hunter is the project’s construction manager. He said 343,000 panels are currently being built and work is being divided into alphabetical lots to simplify the workflow.

Hunter said the construction process will take place in roughly four phases:

1. Laying the cable underground,
2. Driving piles or small metal supports into the ground,
3. Placing torque tubes on the piles and
4. Installation of solar modules on the torque tubes.

In addition, new technologies are used in the panels. Unlike conventional panels that stay in place and are aligned in one direction, these panels can move on their own.
“In the early morning hours, they will be facing east,” Hunter said. “As the day progresses, these panels will slowly rotate westward, following the sun.”

Matthew Wagner is the renewable energy development manager for DTE. He said the Little Trout Solar Project has leased land in Hawks from 17 landowners. While the project currently requires 800 acres to complete, only about 200 acres will be equipped with solar panels.

Wagner said once construction is complete, the land, currently used for equipment and transportation purposes, will be restored to its original state, or as close to it as possible.

“When the project is finished, they will loosen the compacted soil,” he said. “We will plant a lot of grass and pollinator plants, and there will be a lot of space in between.”

Wagner said the life expectancy of the panels – how long they will provide electricity for customers – is 25 years, but they hope to extend their lifespan. In total, Wagner said, the panels should provide electricity to 24,000 homes.

Although the leases for the land were approved, many members of the community have spoken out against them. One of those people is Laurie Smolinski, a woman who lives in Hawks and used to operate a dairy farm in the area.

“I’m not very happy with it,” she said. “I think it’s a disgrace to the community.”

Smolinski said the solar farm is stealing farmland. Although she knows DTE plans to restore the land afterward, she believes it will never be agriculturally viable again.

“I believe that food is the renewable energy source that people need to live,” she said. “They destroyed the soil and created 20 acres of (gravel) parking lots… Basically, there’s a little city there now.”

“We care about this land,” Smolinski said. “It belongs to our families. It was here before we were born and it will be here for our children and grandchildren. What a mess are we leaving for them?”

Smolinski said she has other concerns about the solar farm, including wildlife, the noise the panels will make and the possibility of other solar companies using the area in the future after DTE completes construction.

“I’m not against solar energy, I’m against solar farms,” ​​she said. “If they want solar panels, they should be installed on people’s houses where they will be used.”

Despite Smolinski’s comments, Wagner believes the community has become more open to the idea now that construction has begun.

He said the crew has been investing in basic needs such as food and shelter on site since they launched in April.

He also said the solar farm could help local residents and the city as a whole financially through lower property tax rates and environmental, Great Lakes and energy awards the community could apply for.

“We’re excited about what this means for the community,” Wagner said. “This is money that goes everywhere.”

Ideally, the company wants to complete construction by October, but also be able to operate during the winter if necessary. DTE Energy officials expect the plant to be operational by 2025.