Viewing Grant Proposal: City of Escanaba Electric Department_Solar Array

The City of Escanaba Solar Array is very important in for our area. Escanaba constructed a previous solar farm by the airport and has been a leader in the research of Green Energy in Delta County. The second project will be more visible to the public and will help change some of the area's view of the negative impacts of solar production. It will be constructed on a brownfield site that is ready for development allowing for a faster completion of the project. I know that as citizens view the true aspects of solar some of the misinformation will go away. The Delta County Economic Development Alliance follow supports the City of Escanaba's plans for this project.

As a life-long citizen of Escanaba, I support the City of Escanaba's application for a new solar energy facility with enthusiasm. This is a critical step forward in furthering the development of sustainable and renewable energy for our region. This highly visible project within the city limits will demonstrate to the community that 'clean energy' can be affordable, cost-effective and reliable. It's exciting to imagine our rural area embracing solar power, reducing our carbon footprint, and promoting environmental stewardship. Please support the City of Escanaba's grant application.

As a resident, and representing a local manufacturing company, expressing strong support for the project. Escanaba is a rural city in Upper Michigan and providing reliable and economic power is critical to the citizens, commercial accounts, and manufacturers. The site location has been vacant for decades based on the historical use. The Brownfield Program, with this grant, provides the opportunity to redeploy the land into productive use. The project is broadly supported in the community. Successful implementation and management of the solar array is assured based on the demonstrated success of the City's current solar array located by the County airport. Approval of this grant request is encouraged, advantageous to the City renewable energy component, and aligns with the goals of the grant program.

The City of Escanaba has worked hard to keep rates low for its residents. The grant opportunity for a new solar facility will help to continue the low rates. The proposed new solar facility will be placed on a brownfield site within the City limits and be constructed near commercial and residential areas that will be visible to the public. I believe, the City of Escanaba has proven successful with the operations of their existing solar facility located by the Delta County Airport and am confident that the new proposed solar facility will be successful as well.

The City of Escanaba desires to be a model for small scale solar development in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We have demonstrated this desire and ability with one small solar array near the Delta County Airport. However, financing a second development is difficult for our community. Using the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, Escanaba contains two disadvantaged census tracts, covering a large area of town. The median area household income for the city is $38,457, compared to $75,149 for the United States. For this reason, a grant will provide high impact as it provides a means to complete the project and will provide lasting benefits through rate affordability.