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Welcome!

Welcome to your Meridian Wind Park update page! As we continue development of this project, we want to share with you the exciting new progress we’ve made and give you an inside look at every step of the construction process.

Located in Porter, Mount Haley and Jonesfield townships, the over $300 million Meridian Wind project will be one of the largest wind parks in Michigan. When operational, Meridian’s 77 wind turbines will generate enough clean energy to power more than 78,000 homes.

 

 

Project Updates

Wind park construction is complete! Take a look at some of our project photos:

 

 

Project Milestones

 

 

Meridian Wind Fun Facts

Electrical capacity: 225 megawatts

Project participants: Over 800

Turbine foundation diameter: 62-66 feet

Access roads: 27.5 miles

Underground collector cables: 1,010,000 feet or 191.3 miles

Wind turbine types: Vestas V136-3.6 MW & GE 2.82 MW

 

 

So, how is a wind park constructed?

See for yourself:

 

 

Economic Benefits

Local communities who host wind parks see significant, substantial benefits in the form of local tax revenue. Meridian Wind will bring in millions of dollars of additional tax revenue to the counties in the project footprint over the life of the project. This revenue can provide funding for police, schools, roads, and other vital community services.

Wind development projects also provide hundreds of local jobs during construction. Meridian Wind itself will employ 300 people during development. To date, DTE’s investment in renewable energy has created or sustained a total of 4,000 jobs.

Want to learn more about one community’s experience with wind energy? See what Great Gratiot Development Inc. says about wind development’s positive impact on their local economy: Wind/Alternative Energy | Greater Gratiot Development Inc.

 

 

 

Community Impact

Since DTE began working in the Meridian project footprint, we have had the privilege of getting involved and lending our support to many local programs and events. Some of the local organizations we’ve supported include the Future Farmers of America, CAN Council, FIRST Robotics, Girl Scouts, and many more.

We’ve also stepped up and provided direct assistance to the community amidst the hardships it’s faced over the past year. The area recently experienced a major flood, and we were able to provide immediate support through a donation to the Red Cross for Midland’s flood relief efforts. Additionally, we are proud to have been able to donate Chromebooks to the Merrill School District to help support online learning during the coronavirus pandemic.  

Our support for this community will only continue to grow as we develop lasting relationships – and partnerships – with local organizations and the individuals who run them. It’s already clear to see how these connections have worked to benefit us all. Jonesfield Township even hosted a DTE Appreciation Day to celebrate our work in the local communities.

You can see some of DTE’s most recent community initiatives in our monthly newsletter.

September 2022 Newsletter

July 2022 Newsletter

 

 

 

A Clean Energy Future

DTE is Michigan’s largest producer of renewable energy as well as the state’s largest investor. Since 2009, we have driven investment of $3 billion in renewable energy infrastructure and will invest an additional $2.8 billion over the next few years.

Our current renewable energy portfolio includes 18 wind parks and 33 solar parks, all located in Michigan. These projects generate enough clean energy to power nearly 700,000 homes. By 2025, we will double our generation capacity to power more than 1 million homes with renewable energy.

We are committed to continued growth of our renewable energy portfolio, including wind and solar, as we work to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We hope that you will support us in this journey to combat climate change and create a cleaner future for generations of Michiganders to come.

 

 

Interested in DTE’s renewable energy plans? Learn more at dtecleanenergy.com.

 

 

Contact

DTE Merrill Office: (248) 563-3755, jason.hannath@dteenergy.com for general questions or concerns

DTE Landowner Hotline: (855) 227-3245 for questions about payment, change of contact information, land sale or land transfer, tax forms, etc.