Detroit Using Eminent Domain to Install Solar Farms in City’s Neighborhoods

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is using eminent domain to take over blighted neighborhoods and install solar farms he hopes will offset electricity used by the city’s 127 buildings. “Today, Detroit takes a step into a major national leadership role in fighting climate change,” Duggan said. Detroit’s “127 city buildings are currently powered by 33 megawatts of energy per year from traditional sources, largely fossil fuels. In the next two years, we are going to build solar fields that are going to produce that 33 megawatts of energy in renewable energy, effectively generating all the power for city buildings from solar fields.”

The Detroit City Council approved measures this week to forge ahead with the plan. The city has already filed dozens of eminent domain lawsuits to acquire land, although Trisha Stein, the city’s chief strategy officer, told the Detroit Free Press those lawsuits represent less than 10% of the 900 parcels in the first phase. In the first phase, covering about 100 acres, owners of occupied homes signed an agreement to sell for $90,000, while renters will also receive taxpayer funds to relocate.

In addition to the actual lots needed, the city plans to spend between $15,000 and $25,000 on each of 159 owner-occupied homes surrounding the neighborhoods. That spending will go towards energy efficiency upgrades, from new siding to smart thermostats to new windows and roofs, according to the Free Press.

Read the Full Story at The Midwesterner