Duggan wants to use vacant Detroit land for solar farms
Posted By: The Detroit News on June 26, 2023. For more information, please click here to read the source article.
Mayor Mike Duggan on Wednesday will introduce a new effort to turn vacant Detroit land into solar farms to power city buildings.
The initiative requires vacant land upwards of 20 acres — equivalent to 20 football fields — to house thousands of solar panels.
The city is looking for neighborhood and block clubs in areas with a lot of vacant land to partner with the city to put that vacant land to energy-producing use. In return, those neighborhoods will receive community benefits proposed by residents. Some examples of those benefits might include energy-efficient windows or rooftop solar panels.
The plan will only be offered to residents that want the solar panels in their neighborhood, said Erinn Harris, deputy director of the Department of Neighborhoods.
“This is for neighborhood groups that are constantly calling us, asking us about vacant land and illegal dumping. People that want to come together and invite us into their neighborhoods to have a conversation. This is not us going into neighborhoods and telling them it’s happening,” Harris said.
The initiative was sparked by a challenge from President Joe Biden to cities across the country to power their municipal buildings using solar.
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