SOLAR MAGDTE Energy, a large energy company in Michigan, announced on September 16 that it had already started the construction of the largest megawatt-class photovoltaic power plant in the United States metropolitan area. Specifically, this photovoltaic power plant is located in the O'Shea Park in Detroit. It is a cooperation project among DTE Energy, Detroit and the U.S. Department of Energy, and will be completed by the end of 2016.
This power plant would cover an area of 10 acres and well meet the power demand of 450 households. So based on these data, the total capacity of this power plant would be around 2-3 MWs.
Gerry Anderson, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DTE Energy expressed that photovoltaic power plant can help cut greenhouse gas emissions and supply clean power to local businesses and citizens. Furthermore, it will promote economic growth as well as contribute to regional prosperity.
Actually, this power plant is an important step for DTE Energy to promote the introduction of a cleaner power supply. Previously, the company has shut down 11 ageing coal-fired power plants.
The Revolution of the “Automotive City”
Detroit has been regarded as an “automotive city” for a long time. But recent decades, the automotive industry in Detroit has turned into recession. And this resulted in the stagnation of economic growth and the deterioration of public security, which was making people in the Detroit metropolitan area move to the suburbs with a good public security environment.
The national census of 1950 showed that Detroit had a population of over 1.8 million in 1950. While the population dropped to 710,000 in 2010 – more than 60% of the population had moved out. In 2013, the Detroit government declared bankrupt and was assigned to the management of the Michigan State. Since then, many revival measures had been carried out and the finance of Detroit restored stability in December, 2014.
Because of this previous economic stagnation, the O'Shea Park had been deserted for many years before the government and DTE Energy decided to build the power plant. This plant is predicted to bring in $1 million tax for the government and create a large number of job opportunities in the meantime.
Generally speaking, it’s rather difficult to purchase large areas of land in metropolitan areas at low cost. So it is relatively rare to construct megawatt-class photovoltaic power plants in these areas. But in Detroit, there’re other large idle land like the O'Shea Park, and they would be used to build photovoltaic power plants in the future. comment↓
SEE ALSO: O'Shea Park Solar Project Press Conference
