A 132-megawatt solar park near Sheridan, Michigan, has entered operation after a multiyear development and construction effort, adding a new source of electricity to DTE Energy’s generation portfolio and bringing a series of projected tax and community benefits to Montcalm County.
DTE Energy announced on October 28 that Fish Creek Solar Park is operational. The $268 million project was funded through voluntary contributions from customers enrolled in the utility’s MIGreenPower program, which supports the development of renewable energy resources.
The company says the facility can generate enough electricity to power approximately 30,000 homes. It is located in Bushnell and Evergreen townships, where local governments are expected to benefit from additional tax revenue as the project operates.
Construction across nearly 600 acres
Fish Creek Solar Park has been in development for several years. DTE began construction in spring 2024, and local reporting documented the project’s groundbreaking in May of that year.
The project occupies a site of more than 590 acres in Montcalm County. DTE reported that construction created 550 jobs, including 450 union positions, providing work during the installation phase before the facility began operating.
Michigan regulators had approved the construction and solar-module supply contracts for Fish Creek and two other DTE solar projects in January 2024. At that stage, the utility anticipated that Fish Creek would enter commercial operation in the third quarter of 2025.
The October 2026 operational announcement therefore marks the project’s reported entry into service after its original anticipated operating date. The company’s announcement confirms its current status, although it does not explain the full schedule behind the difference between the original target and the announcement date.
The Michigan Public Service Commission’s earlier filings also provide a useful cost benchmark. Regulators reviewed a projected installed cost of $1,676 per kilowatt across Fish Creek, Little Trout Solar Park and Mission Road Co-Location Solar Park. The three-project estimate should not be treated as Fish Creek’s final individual construction cost.
A voluntary customer-funded model
Fish Creek’s financing arrangement distinguishes it from projects supported through conventional utility investment alone. DTE says voluntary participants in MIGreenPower funded the $268 million development, allowing the utility to add generation without increasing costs for customers who do not participate in the program.
The arrangement links customers who choose to support renewable energy with the development of additional generation resources. It also provides a route for DTE to expand its renewable portfolio while continuing to serve customers who have not enrolled in the voluntary program.
The distinction matters because the announcement’s statement that the project did not raise costs for customers refers to the funding structure described by DTE. It should not be read as evidence that all future electricity rates or utility costs will remain unchanged.
Tax revenue and community investment
DTE expects Fish Creek to generate tens of millions of dollars in additional tax revenue over time. The company says those funds will support local services, including schools, emergency response, road improvements and services for veterans and older residents.
The host townships have also received direct state support connected to the development. Bushnell Township and Evergreen Township each received $330,000 through Michigan’s Renewables Ready Communities Award program, which provides grants to local governments that host large-scale renewable energy projects.
The townships have identified public-facility improvements, including work on town halls and fire stations, among their planned uses for the funding.
Those grants are distinct from the additional property-tax revenue DTE expects the project to generate. The grant amounts have been awarded, while the company’s forecast of tens of millions of dollars in future tax revenue represents benefits expected over the project’s operating life.
The project also provides participating landowners with a source of supplemental income, according to DTE.
Part of Michigan’s wider generation expansion
Fish Creek joins a broader DTE renewable-energy portfolio that the company says includes 20 wind parks and 37 solar parks across Michigan. Together, those facilities generate enough electricity to power nearly 1 million homes, according to the utility.
DTE’s 2026 integrated resource plan also includes a proposal to add 15 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2042. Fish Creek is one completed step in that wider plan, rather than the entire expansion itself.
The project should not be confused with the separately proposed Fish Creek Energy Center, a battery-storage development in Montcalm County. The solar park generates electricity from sunlight; the proposed energy center is intended to store electricity and discharge it when required. The two developments represent different technologies and must be tracked separately.
With Fish Creek now reported operational, the next measure of its contribution will be its actual electricity generation and the delivery of the projected community benefits. Its construction record establishes the scale of the development, while its operating performance and eventual tax contributions will show how those commitments translate into lasting results.
Project factsheet: Fish Creek Solar Park
- Location: Near Sheridan, Montcalm County, Michigan
- Host communities: Bushnell Township and Evergreen Township
- Utility: DTE Energy
- Generation capacity: 132 MW
- Announced project cost: $268 million
- Funding model: Voluntary contributions through DTE’s MIGreenPower program
- Reported operating announcement: October 28, 2026
- Expected electricity equivalent: Approximately 30,000 homes
- Construction start: Spring 2024
- Reported construction employment: 550 jobs, including 450 union jobs
- State community grants: $330,000 to each host township
- Expected local benefits: Additional property-tax revenue, landowner income and support for public services
Related electricity infrastructure investment
Fish Creek adds solar generation to Michigan’s electricity supply through a voluntary customer-funded model. In Iowa and Wisconsin, the Department of Energy has closed a $5.1 billion financing package for Alliant Energy to support natural gas generation, battery storage and upgrades to existing power plants. The two developments are not directly connected, but they illustrate different approaches to expanding generation capacity and strengthening electricity supply.
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