Bay Mills Indian Community
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Overview
| Anticipated Award Amount | $17,316,468 | |
|---|---|---|
| Applicant | Bay Mills Indian Community | |
| Application Title | Bay Mills Indian Community's CPRG Solar Project Proposal | |
| Sector | Electric Power | |
| Estimated GHG Reductions 1 |
Cumulative 2025‑2030: Cumulative 2025‑2050: |
|
Selected Application Summary
The selected application will support a ground-mounted solar installation and battery storage system to provide Tribal citizens in the Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC) in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan with price-stable, home-grown, clean, and reliable electricity. In addition to delivering improved health outcomes, jobs, and economic opportunities, the project will generate enough renewable energy to offset the emissions from BMIC’s governmental and enterprise operations. A workforce development program will be created to train Tribal members and additional local workforce to fill the demand for new high-quality jobs constructing a new solar farm.
Key Things to Know
Based on information provided by the applicant, the selected project will deliver the following benefits to reduce GHGs and support communities 1:
- Construct an 11-megawatt ground-mounted solar installation with 5 megawatt hours of battery storage on 40 acres of BMIC trust land.
- Generate 15.5 gigawatt hours of renewable energy annually, which will offset the GHG emissions from BMIC’s governmental and enterprise operations.
- Provide the Tribe with an average annual revenue increase that will be reinvested in vital community services and further GHG emission reductions measures.
- Create a workforce development program through Bay Mills Community College to train Tribal members and other local workers to fill 185 expected new jobs during the 2-year solar farm construction period.
- Serve as a model for other federally recognized Tribes in Michigan that have significant power needs and available trust lands that are appropriate for solar installations.
Activities and benefits summarized above reflect the measures in Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan’s Priority Climate Action Plan (pdf) (2.1 MB).
1 The emission reduction estimates, as well as the descriptions of measures and benefits, were summarized from information provided by the applicant. These estimates, along with the award amount, are subject to change.
EPA will award grants to selected applicants once they meet all legal and administrative requirements. As of August 2024, grants are expected to be awarded by the end of 2024.
About EPA's Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) Implementation Grants
Authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act, EPA’s CPRG program will provide nearly $5 billion in grants for states, local governments, Tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution while benefitting low-income and disadvantaged communities.
For more information, visit Climate Pollution Reduction Grants.