The rollback of federal clean energy tax credits is pushing the city of Grand Rapids to break ground next year on a 17-year effort to install a solar energy project at a former west side landfill.
During a Grand Rapids Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday morning, city commissioners signaled their support for the city to put out a request for proposals to pre-qualified vendors. Work has been ongoing by city officials to “streamline the project” at the former Butterworth landfill and pre-qualify 10 vendors that could take part in the development, Grand Rapids Assistant City Manager Doug Matthews said during the meeting.
The city owns about 140 acres of the 180-acre capped landfill located along the Grand River and just east of I-196. The proposed solar development would be constructed on 6 to 10 acres of the city’s property at the Butterworth landfill to be developed into solar infrastructure that would produce up to 2 megawatts of power…