Cloudy. Low 44F. Winds light and variable..
Cloudy. Low 44F. Winds light and variable.
Updated: October 14, 2026 @ 11:28 pm
Cristina Juska | Oceana Herald Journal
Rows of solar panels tilt on an axis to follow the sun in Hart Township.
Cristina Juska | Oceana Herald Journal
Project stakeholders celebrate the completion of the Hart Solar Project.
Cristina Juska | Oceana Herald Journal
NorthStar Clean Energy Vice President of Development, Peter Lundquist, cuts the ribbon along with representatives from the MPPA, Executive Energy Services and Oakland County, Michigan. Oakland County will purchase energy from Hart Solar via Executive Energy Services.
Cristina Juska | Oceana Herald Journal
Rows of solar panels tilt on an axis to follow the sun in Hart Township.
Cristina Juska | Oceana Herald Journal
Project stakeholders celebrate the completion of the Hart Solar Project.
Cristina Juska | Oceana Herald Journal
NorthStar Clean Energy Vice President of Development, Peter Lundquist, cuts the ribbon along with representatives from the MPPA, Executive Energy Services and Oakland County, Michigan. Oakland County will purchase energy from Hart Solar via Executive Energy Services.
HART TOWNSHIP–On Oct. 8, NorthStar Clean Energy hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony bringing together project partners, customers, local officials, landowners and other stakeholders to celebrate the project’s completion.
Pete Lundquist, vice president of Development for NorthStar Clean Energy, said the 120-megawatt renewable energy facility in Oceana County is now providing solar electricity to Michigan energy customers through long-term purchase agreements with Executive Energy Services and the Michigan Public Power Agency (MPPA).
He said that the facility is expected to generate more than 200 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, enough to power more than 21,000 homes and avoid an estimated 96,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. As an MPPA member, the City of Hart is one of the municipalities that will use a portion of the power generated in Hart Township.
Lundquist said the project provides a long-term source of tax revenue for the community and predictable income for landowners. Hart Township also received roughly $600,000 via EGLE’s Renewables Ready Communities Award Program.
Additionally, Lundquist said the CMS Energy Foundation granted Lakeshore Food Club, a local food bank that is expanding its services in Oceana County, $100,000 to support its efforts. NorthStar Clean Energy is a CMS Energy subsidiary
As reported in the OHJ in November 2025, Ian O’Leary of EGLE explained, “The RRCA gives grants to local governments that have issued permits for eligible, renewable energy projects. The grant itself can be spent on a wide variety of projects of public benefit. Hart Township in particular intends to use the funds for master plan updates, new offices in Township facilities and road improvements.”
O’Leary added, “Solar projects pay industrial and personal property tax to the local governments, lease payments to the participating landowners, and other optional cash flows like community benefits agreements.”
The Hart Solar Project is built on approximately 900 acres of privately owned land in Hart Township with more than 300,000 individual solar modules installed onsite.
For more information see the article from Capitol News Service below.
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