TRAVERSE CITY — Traverse City Light & Power has begun receiving 6.6 megawatts of solar energy from the White Tail Solar project in Washtenaw County. The utility is the largest participant in a 25-megawatt public power agreement involving 13 other municipal providers in Michigan.
The White Tail Solar array entered commercial operation in late 2025 and has a total capacity of 140 megawatts. TCLP secured its portion of the renewable energy through a power purchase agreement executed in partnership with the Michigan Public Power Agency.
The 6.6-megawatt share represents 26.4% of the combined 25-megawatt public power agreement. While TCLP is the largest participant in this specific agreement, all 140 megawatts of energy generated by the White Tail array are contracted to various public power utilities across Michigan.TCLP joined 13 other municipal providers in the shared agreement. Utility officials said the project demonstrates how public power collaboration can deliver sustainable and cost-effective energy resources to local communities.
Brandie Ekren serves as the executive director of TCLP. She said the investment in White Tail Solar helps the utility meet its targets for renewable energy while ensuring service remains dependable.“As the largest investor in White Tail Solar, TCLP secured 6.6 megawatts of Michigan-based solar energy for our portfolio,” Ekren said. “This investment strengthens our progress toward cleaner energy while supporting reliability and long-term cost stability for our customers.”
Karla Myers-Beman is the chief financial officer for TCLP. She noted that the scale of participation was a deliberate choice to manage energy costs and maintain flexibility in the utility’s resource mix.
“This project reflects TCLP’s disciplined financial planning and thoughtful portfolio strategy,” Myers-Beman said. “By participating at this scale, we were able to secure long-term energy pricing while balancing risk and maintaining flexibility in our broader resource mix.”
Myers-Beman added that the utility evaluates these types of projects for their long-term benefit to ratepayers in addition to their environmental value. The investment comes as utilities throughout the state work toward carbon reduction goals.
Traverse City Light & Power is a municipally owned utility that has operated for more than 100 years. The organization provides both electric and telecommunication services to Traverse City and the surrounding region.