FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Aug. 23, 2024
az@platform-communications.com
Dickinson County, Mich. - Circle Power Renewables and Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) are pleased to announce that the Michigan Public Service Commission has approved a power purchase agreement for Groveland Mine Solar, a grid-connected solar facility slated for development in Dickinson County, Michigan.
Under the agreement, UPPCO will purchase renewable energy from 62.5 megawatts of the utility-scale solar project owned by Copper Country Power I LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Circle Power Renewables. Groveland Mine Solar will be sited entirely on mining waste and lands previously impacted by the former Groveland Mine, demonstrating a commitment to sustainable land use and local economic development.
Gradon Haehnel, CEO of UPPCO, said, "Through this stage of the development process, Circle Power has proven itself to be an excellent and trustworthy partner. This agreement importantly moves UPPCO closer to meeting Michigan’s renewable energy statutes that require electric utilities to achieve an energy mix of 60% renewable energy by the year 2035 and 100% clean energy by 2040.”
Jordan Roberts, CEO of Circle Power, stated, "We are pleased the Michigan Public Service Commission approved the Groveland Mine Solar agreement. By repurposing former mine lands to host a solar energy facility, we're generating power in the Upper Peninsula and contributing to the site’s economic revitalization in a way that will benefit the community and region.”
UPPCO will procure the power generated by 62.5 megawatts of Groveland Mine Solar’s total 100-megawatt plant capacity. The agreement is expected to generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of approximately 12,000 homes in the Upper Peninsula while supporting jobs in the region. Groveland Mine Solar has been endorsed by the Upper Peninsula Building Trades Council, the Upper Peninsula Construction Council, the Operating Engineers Local 324, the LiUNA Local 1309, the Michigan Council of Carpenters & Millwrights, and the IBEW Local 906.
For more information about Groveland Mine Solar, please visit www.GrovelandMineSolar.com.
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About Circle Power: Circle Power Renewables develops renewable energy projects. The company takes a thoughtful, locally focused approach to building reliable, clean, and inexpensive electric generation. For more information, visit www.CirclePowerCo.com.
About Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO): UPPCO is a public utility engaged in the generation, purchase, distribution and sale of electric energy to approximately 53,000 retail customers in 118 communities in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. For more information, visit www.uppco.com.