Board of Light & Power pitches community solar site at airport glide‑path; council approves updated BLP purchasing limits

Rob Shelley, general manager of the Grand Haven Board of Light and Power (BLP), briefed council on BLP operations, reliability metrics and strategic initiatives in a presentation delivered Aug. 18. Shelley said the utility serves about 15,000 customers across 22 square miles with four substations, 13 miles of transmission and roughly 200 miles of distribution lines. He highlighted that the utility’s outage average (2.65 hours in 2023) compares favorably to the Michigan average and that the BLP was an RP3 Reliable Public Power Provider award recipient.

Shelley described three strategic pillars—reliability, affordability and sustainability—and outlined state requirements that will affect rates and programs. He said a new Energy Waste Reduction (EWR) requirement will increase targets for energy savings and that the BLP expects a residential line‑item charge of about $2 per month beginning in December to meet mandated programs. He also noted the utility’s current energy mix is approximately 26% green energy and the utility has contracts to reach about 30% by 2027.

A substantial portion of Shelley’s presentation described early planning for a community solar garden. He said staff surveyed customer interest (roughly half indicated some interest depending on price) and that the city and BLP must identify suitable land. Shelley suggested an L‑shaped, city‑owned property near the airport glide path as a potential site and estimated a 750 kW array could cost roughly $2 million to build. He cautioned that federal and state incentives have shifted quickly and that projects depend on available grant or tax incentives; he added the BLP would seek FAA review and a glare study if the site is pursued. Councilmembers asked that the airport board be included in site discussions and that staff proceed only with city concurrence.

Council also considered a BLP‑sponsored update to the BLP purchasing policy (pursuant to Charter sec. 14.4) that raises departmental and management purchase authorization thresholds to align with the city’s procedures and avoid frequent board approvals for routine capital and operating purchases. The ordinance resolution passed on a 3–1 roll call (Fritz: yes; Lowe: yes; McLaughlin: no; Maneta: yes). Council discussion noted the need to balance operational agility with fiscal oversight.

Shelley closed with operational updates—pipeline and circuit rebuilds, Harbor Drive underground work, Beechtree rebuild and ongoing Harbor Island remediation coordination—and said the BLP has set aside $17 million for its portion of Harbor Island work. The council thanked Shelley for the strategic briefing and asked the BLP and airport board to coordinate on the community solar concept.