“We know that those tax credits for solar are in a difficult spot right now. It’s part of the reason we’re talking about this right now.”
At Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, Grand Rapids’ Assistant City Manager Doug Matthews updated commissioners on the current state of the Butterworth solar array project, which has been in the works for 17 years. He explained that federal solar tax credits are phasing out at the end of 2026.
“Projects that are started by July 4th of ’26 will have four years under current guidance to be able to be completed. If they’re started after July 4th, they have to be completed before the end of 2027.”
Commissioners unanimously agreed to move forward on the solar array project. The panels will be installed on 6 to 10 acres of the former Butterworth landfill located along the Grand River, just east of I-196. The panels would produce up to 2 megawatts of power.
“That provides all the power that we need for about 100 facilities that are connected to the primary circuit during the day, as well as a little more than 200 streetlights that operate on the primary circuit as well.”
Matthews explained that 2 megawatts is the maximum daytime output providing enough electricity for city facilities.
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