This is an exciting time for Coldwater Solar. This summer, agreements were approved by Coldwater and Ovid Townships to guarantee specific levels of tax revenue to support local schools, county services, and the townships themselves. In addition to benefiting from direct tax revenue from Coldwater Solar, both townships are also applying to the State of Michigan’s Renewable Ready Communities grant program, which could provide up to $750,000 in funding directly to the townships ($5,000 per MW) to advance community priorities.

In recent weeks, you may have noticed some activity around the project site as we move toward construction. Properties that will host solar panels have been mowed in preparation for site preparation and seeding. Equipment deliveries and job trailer staging at the project construction laydown yard (corner of Sanford and Fenn roads) will start the week of September 3rd and continue in the coming weeks.

To keep you informed as we prepare for the work ahead, we want to ensure that you know how to find construction updates and know how to contact us if any issues arise during construction. We hope you can join us for our preconstruction open house at Lockwood Community Church on September 17 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. (more details below) This will be a great opportunity to meet our construction team, ask questions about the project, and learn what you should expect moving forward.

In this newsletter, we are also excited to share details about our construction schedule, highlight the project’s community benefits, and provide information on how to contact Coldwater Solar if you have any concerns during construction.

YOU'RE INVITED!

Coldwater Solar Preconstruction Open House
Tuesday, September 17 | 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Lockwood Community Church
202 E. Lockwood Rd., Coldwater, MI 49036

With construction on Coldwater Solar kicking off this fall, please join us for an open house to meet members of the construction team, learn about the project’s community benefits, and ask questions about the construction process. Learn more at coldwatersolar.com/construction.

Project Update

Some preconstruction work for Coldwater Solar has already begun, with additional activities scheduled to start in the coming weeks. Our initial tasks include various site preparation activities, such as:

• Mowing and construction pre-seeding
• Limited site grading
• Laydown yard installation
• Perimeter fence installation

As construction progresses through the winter, more workers will arrive on-site. These workers may be employed by Apex Clean Energy, our Michigan-based EPC contractor Barton Malow, or other suppliers and subcontractors. Below is a preliminary estimate of our construction schedule. Please note that these dates are subject to change:

• Fall 2024: Collection line and access road installation; substation area site preparation
• Early 2025: Pile and racking installation; vegetative screening
• Summer 2025: Panel installation; DC electrical work (connecting arrays to inverters)
• Late 2025: Substation energization; project completion

HAVING ISSUES WITH CONSTRUCTION? HERE'S HOW TO CONTACT US

While it is always our hope that no issues emerge during construction for landowners, neighbors, or other stakeholders, we have a complaint resolution process in place to ensure that the public can easily communicate any concerns so we can investigate and address them as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Below, you’ll find information about how to keep track of construction updates and how to register concerns if they arise.

Website Construction Updates

Construction updates will be posted regularly on our website at coldwatersolar.com/news. These updates may include transportation route information, road closures, adjustments to construction hours, or other relevant details.

Construction Concerns or Complaints

Any concerns or complaints regarding construction can be submitted at coldwatersolar.com/complaint or by calling our 24/7 complaint hotline at 1-866-370-9546.

For safety reasons, members of the public will not be allowed on-site during construction to register complaints with project staff or contractors. If construction workers are approached directly with complaints, they will direct the complainant to the online portal or toll-free number to register their complaint.

When submitting a complaint, please include as much information as possible regarding the issue, including the location and a detailed description of the concern, along with your name, address, phone number, and email address (if applicable).

Did you know?

Coldwater Solar is expected to generate about $30 million in new local tax revenue over its 30-year lifetime. Here are some of the specific services that will benefit from this revenue boost:

Additional Benefits

• $150,000 in new funding for regional conservation efforts through the Apex Conservation Grant program
  
• $20 million in upgrades to the local transmission system, paid for by Coldwater Solar, improving the reliability of Michigan’s electrical grid.

We plan to continue posting updates during the construction process, but if you have any questions or concerns in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to completing construction by the end of 2025 and generating clean energy and community benefits for Coldwater and Ovid Townships as well as the surrounding region.