Oakland County to power 46 buildings with solar under 10-year deal, projects $3.7M in savings

Oakland County will buy electricity from a west Michigan solar farm to power 46 county government buildings under a 10-year contract, county officials announced Friday, Oct. 9.

The power will come from the 120-megawatt Hart Solar Project in Oceana County, run by NorthStar Clean Energy of Ann Arbor, according to a county news release. Besides the 46 government buildings, the deal covers several sites run by the Water Resources Commissioner and the Parks and Recreation Department.

The savings estimate

The county's Facilities Management Department estimates the deal may save more than $300,000 a year, or about $3.7 million over 10 years, compared with current utility rates.

The county noted that the estimate could change because energy markets are volatile.

The release does not give the contract's price or say when or by what vote the agreement was approved.

Grand opening

The solar project held its grand opening Thursday, Oct. 8. Board of Commissioners Chairman David Woodward, Commissioner Gwen Markham of Novi and Chief Sustainability Officer Julie Lyons Bricker attended for the county.

NorthStar says the project is expected to produce about 200 gigawatt-hours a year, enough for more than 21,000 homes, according to the release.

County Executive Dave Coulter said the county is "doing our part" by buying power from a utility-scale facility. Woodward called Oakland "the first in Michigan" to run its operations on solar power. Elsewhere, the release describes the county as "among the first" in the state to do so.

Why the county is doing it

The county has set goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions from its operations by 50% by 2035 and reaching net zero by 2050, according to the release.

This story uses an Oct. 9, 2026, news release from Oakland County.