Jackson, MI – Consumers Energy plans to break ground next spring on Blackman Solar, a new 30-acre community solar array in its home Jackson County that will provide local clean energy to customers through its Solar Gardens program.
Consumers Energy this week received approval from Blackman Township for the project, which is slated to start generating electricity by the end of 2025.
Blackman Solar will generate power for Consumers Energy’s Solar Gardens community solar program, in which customers choose to support new solar projects without having to own solar arrays.
The new community solar facility will be the fourth that Consumers Energy owns and operates, joining other Solar Gardens projects in Cadillac, at Western Michigan University and at Grand Valley State University.
Blackman Solar will include nearly 5,000 solar panels and will generate up to 2.5 megawatts of renewable electricity for 2,500 future Solar Gardens customers.
The company is developing solar projects as part of its Clean Energy Plan to be carbon-neutral by 2040.
Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.8 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
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