January 5, 2026
Happy New Year and welcome to the first Projects weekly from 2026! We highlight Consumers Energy’s startup activities at Muskegon Solar in Michigan. Additionally, Seminole Financial completed the refinancing of a 26 MWdc solar project portfolio with Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI), and CPS Energy issued an RFP to acquire up to 500 MW of additional battery storage in the San Antonio region. Keep reading for all the fine details!
Consumers Energy is flipping the switch on the Michigan solar project
Consumer Energy has commenced operations at its Muskegon Solar facility in Michigan, the company’s largest solar project at 250 MW. The project, located on 1,900 acres at the Muskegon Resource Recovery Center, generates enough electricity to power approximately 40,000 homes and businesses.
“Consumers Energy is building the electric grid of the future to serve Michigan homes and businesses. Muskegon Solar is an example of the reliable, cost-effective projects we create to ensure we continue to meet our customers’ needs,” said Sri Maddipati, president of Consumers Energy’s electric utility.
Bright spot: Construction of the Muskegon Solar array created more than 200 construction jobs in Muskegon, Michigan, about 40 miles northwest of Grand Rapids along the shores of Lake Michigan. Muskegon Solar is by far the largest of Consumers Energy’s current solar projects, including three others at Western Michigan University, Grand Valley State University and in Cadillac. Muskegon Solar’s more than 550,000 panels are arranged in 5,200 rows that rotate to follow the sun’s path and generate energy from sunrise to sunset.
“This project is a testament to the skill and dedication of the local men and women building it, and we are proud to be working with Consumers Energy on such a groundbreaking project for the region,” said Chad Cotter, VP at the construction group at Burns & McDonnell.
Seminole Financial Completes $22 Million Refinancing for Solar Portfolio
Seminole Financial Services has completed the refinancing of a 26 MWdc solar project portfolio Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI), the North American renewable energy subsidiary of Libra Group. This portfolio includes six unique projects in New York, Vermont and Florida.
“By freeing up cheaper capital on these assets, we are demonstrating that well-structured and managed solar investments continue to evolve into highly attractive, low-risk infrastructure assets,” said Ahmar Zaman, CFO of Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure.
Bright spot: The new financing totals approximately $22 million USD and marks one of the first waves of these types of solar project refinancings for GSI. The loan has a term of six years and a repayment period of twenty years, with a term until 2031.
“This $22 million refinancing of our solar portfolio with Seminole Financial Services is an important milestone that demonstrates the strong long-term value and bankability of solar projects,” said Mazen Turk, CEO of Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure. “
This clean energy portfolio includes notable sites including the Elizabeth Mine in Vermont and the Stanton A and Stanton Landfill sites at the Orlando Utility Commission facility in Orlando, Florida, all of which were developed on former remediation sites. Other locations in the portfolio include the Scotch Settlement Solar projects and the Lisbon East and West projects, all of which are located in New York State.
“The solar refinancing market is entering an exciting phase as thousands of projects reach operational maturity,” said Chris Diaz, co-CEO of Seminole Financial Services. “Seminole is uniquely positioned to meet this demand with our deep sector expertise and flexible capital solutions. Our work with Greenwood on this $22 million transaction is a blueprint for how we will continue to scale in this market.”
CPS Energy Launches RFP for 500 MW Battery Storage in San Antonio
CPS Energy has issued a Request For Proposal (RFP) to purchase up to 500 MW of additional battery storage. This latest RFP supports the previously approved tools Vision Generation Plan 2027which aims to provide affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to the greater San Antonio area.
“This request to add more battery storage to our generation portfolio continues to fulfill our commitment to deliver on the utility’s Vision 2027 Generation Plan,” said Rudy D. Garza, president and CEO of CPS Energy. “The RFP reinforces our team’s ongoing commitment to securing additional energy resources needed to keep pace with our community’s rapid growth.”
Bright spot: Upon completion of the RFP, the utility expects to have more than 1,000 MW of operational or contracted storage capacity to serve its customers. To date, CPS Energy has brought 50 MW of storage capacity online as part of the Vision 2027 plan. Another 470 MW is under development and expected to be online by 2026.
The RFP is also aligned with CPS Energy’s commitment to the City of San Antonio’s Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP), which, in addition to an ongoing commitment to diversity in resource generation, targets carbon neutrality by 2050.
The deadline to submit a proposal is Friday, January 30 at 11:45 PM CT. Entries must be made using the Power Advocate Portal.
Keywords: energy storage, Financing, Projects Weekly, utility scale
