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Marshall Township approves Cereal City Solar Project

Close-up field of solar panels on a sunny day.
Brittany Peterson/AP
/
AP
Crops grow under solar panels in Longmont, Colo. in Sept. 2021.

Marshall Township has approved a site plan and special land use permit for the Cereal City Solar project, a 600-acre solar farm that will supply enough energy for up to 30,000 homes.

Marshall Township has approved a large solar farm. It’ll be known as the Cereal City Solar Project.

NextEra Energy is the developer of the $130 million, 600-acre solar project coming to Marshall Township. According to NextEra, the solar farm will generate enough power for about 30,000 homes.

Kunhal Parikh is the Project Director of Renewable Development at NextEra. He said the project will generate about $21 million in local tax revenue for the county and township over the next 30 years, "about 16 million of which goes directly to the township and its services," Parikh said.

Parikh added that the Cereal City Solar Project will also create up to 200 jobs during construction.

NextEra signed a 25- year power purchase agreement with Consumers Energy late last year for the Cereal City Solar Project.

Matt Eissey is a spokesperson for NextEra Energy.

"The power may be going to Consumers Energy, but the benefits stay in Marshall Township. We think that’s going to be a great economic boon to the community, and we are thankful to be working with them. And hope this project is as successful as we plan for it to be," Eissey said.

NextEra will install the solar panels just north of I-94 and west of I-69 in Marshall Township.

Parikh expects construction to start in June and finish a year later.