Detroit, DTE Breaks Ground on First Solar Neighborhood

October 28, 2025

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, DTE Energy, and Boston-based Lightstar Renewables broke ground on a major solar energy project that will convert 165 acres of vacant and blighted land across ten Detroit neighborhoods into solar arrays. The project will generate approximately 10 megawatts of clean energy to power 127 municipal buildings, including police and fire stations, with the first phase expected to be operational by summer 2026. While some residents welcomed the investment and improvements to long-neglected areas, the city had to use eminent domain lawsuits on nearly 100 parcels, though 21 occupied homeowners voluntarily agreed to sell for $90,000 each.

Who is affected

Residents of ten Detroit neighborhoods, specifically Van Dyke/Lynch, Gratiot Findlay, State Fair, Greenfield Park, and Houston Whittier
Dorothy Gladney, Sandra Turner Handy, Haley Henley, and other named residents living near solar field sites
21 homeowners who sold their occupied homes for $90,000
Nearly 250 households receiving energy efficiency upgrade assistance
Property owners who received eminent domain lawsuits (nearly 100 parcels)
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and District 3 Councilman Scott Benson
DTE Energy and its CEO Joi Harris
Lightstar Renewables (Boston-based company)
IBEW Local 58 electrical workers union members
Tammy Black and students at Communities Power Solar Training Academy

What action is being taken

DTE and Lightstar Renewables are building 165 acres of solar fields across ten neighborhoods
Lightstar Renewables is beginning construction on the Gratiot Findlay and State Fair neighborhood solar parks in early next year
Tammy Black is teaching community members how to perform home assessments, work as ground crew, and understand solar energy
IBEW Local 58 members are installing the solar panels
The city and DTE are providing energy efficiency upgrades to homeowners (nearly 250 households have taken advantage of this program)

Why it matters

This project represents a significant transformation of vacant and blighted land in Detroit into productive clean energy infrastructure that will power city operations while providing economic benefits to residents. The initiative addresses neighborhood decay that has plagued these areas for decades, as evidenced by long-time residents like Dorothy Gladney who witnessed their communities deteriorate. The project creates local jobs through union labor, provides job training opportunities through solar academies, and delivers direct financial benefits to residents through buyouts and home improvement grants. Additionally, it demonstrates how renewable energy projects can serve dual purposes of environmental sustainability and urban revitalization in economically challenged areas.

What's next

Activation of the Van Dyke/Lynch neighborhood solar field is expected in summer 2026
Construction for the Gratiot Findlay and State Fair neighborhood projects is slated to begin early next year
Once operational, the solar field will deliver around 10 megawatts of solar energy onto the city's electrical grid to power 127 municipal buildings, fire stations, and police stations

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle