FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024
az@platform-communications.com
Felch Township, Mich. - Weeks after finalizing the property tax guarantee and decommissioning agreements for Groveland Mine Solar, Circle Power Renewables are following through on another promise by funding recreation grants and scholarships totaling $150,000 to the Dickinson Area Community Foundation (DACF). The gift will fund projects in Felch, Norway, and Sagola townships, where the project will be constructed.
“Fundamentally, we at Circle Power believe that host communities should benefit from renewable energy projects like Groveland Mine Solar as a core value of our company – both because it’s good for business and because it’s the right thing to do,” said Jordan Roberts, CEO of Circle Power Renewables.
Roberts continued, “We thank the community for their ongoing input and engagement as we have worked to develop Groveland Mine Solar. Like so much else about this project, the decision to fund recreation grants and endow scholarships has been shaped by the input we received from the folks we worked with. We also want to thank the DACF for their ongoing work with us as we’ve learned more about the process of giving.”
“We’ve been working with Circle Power for close to two years” said Tamara Juul, Executive Director of the Dickinson Area Community Foundation. “During that time, discussions about their gift evolved to include both the recreation grants but also a scholarship endowment that will exist in perpetuity, meaning it will award scholarships now and for future generations.”
Juul continued, “We are excited to see how the Groveland Mine Solar recreational grants will be invested into our community, and appreciate the opportunity to assist with their charitable commitment to our community by funding scholarship endowments. Circle Power has been easy to work with and they are committed to investing in our community to assist in moving the area forward.”
The Groveland Mine Solar Township Recreation Grant is providing $25,000 each to Felch, Norway, and Sagola Townships to invest in recreation projects of their choosing. The grants are a one-time gift that will be administered by the Dickinson Area Community Foundation. The funding will be available to the Townships beginning on Feb. 26, 2024. Eligible projects may include, but are not limited to, playground equipment, boat launches, trail improvements, or camping facilities.
Additionally, $25,000 will be administered by DACF for area sportsmen’s organizations to invest in a recreation or habitat improvement project or projects in the Groveland Mine Pond or Pine Creek Basin area.
Finally, Circle Power has been funding scholarships for graduates of Norway-Vulcan Area Schools and North Dickinson County School since 2023, and the Groveland Mine Solar Scholarship Fund ensures that the scholarships will continue in perpetuity. The $50,000 endowment will provide an annual scholarship for a graduate of Norway Vulcan Area Schools and a graduate of North Dickinson County School. It is expected to provide two approximately $1,000 scholarships on an annual basis, with the amount expected to grow over time. The endowment will also be managed by DACF.
For more information, visit www.GrovelandMineSolar.com/DACF.
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About Groveland Mine Solar: Located in Dickinson County, Mich., Groveland Mine Solar is an economic development opportunity for the region that will provide new revenue to local governments and create construction jobs. Ground-mounted solar arrays will be sited on public and private lands of the decommissioned Groveland Mine, which operated from the early 1950s until 1981 under the ownership of the Hanna Mining Company. 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. The project is proudly supported by Operating Engineers 324, Laborers’
Union Local 1329, Michigan Association of Carpenters & Millwrights, IBEW Local 906, the U.P. Building Trades Council, and the Upper Peninsula Construction Council.