SANDS TOWNSHIP — Savion LLC, the renewable energy company behind the proposed Superior Solar Project in Sands Township, will host a virtual community meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday to further discuss the project with area residents.

Savion, based out of Kansas City, Missouri, is proposing a nearly 2,000-acre solar farm on Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. property in Sands Township, just southwest of the crossroads intersection of County Road 480 and M-553. Savion plans to lease the property from Cliffs for the project.

The proposed project would produce 149.7 megawatts of electricity and provide low-cost clean energy to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator power grid into the Dead River-Arnold 345 kilovolt line located within the site, according to a press release from Savion.

The meeting will be open to the public and will cover topics that include the project location, economic impacts, solar energy facts versus misconceptions, community benefits, land management, health and safety, and recreational trails, organizers said.

Savion hosted an open house Oct. 1 at the Sands Township Hall pavilion to talk with area residents and township officials regarding the project.

The company was founded in 2019 and is currently developing 69 solar projects in 24 states. Savion has 26 completed solar projects across 10 states, one of those in downstate Muskegon.

The project would be a capital investment of $100 million to $150 million, which Savion officials say would boost the local economy.

“At that level, it will generate somewhere between $15 million and $20 million in new property taxes,” said Courtney Timmons, development director for Savion, in a previous Mining Journal article. “The project will also create 200 temporary construction jobs and two to four permanent full-time jobs. It’s a great opportunity for the (Upper Peninsula) to take advantage of clean and sustainable energy.”

If approved, officials expect to break ground within the next three years.

The Sands Township Board is set to hold a meeting on Dec. 15 to address and approve or disapprove the special-use permit required for the project.

Tuesday’s virtual meeting will be interactive, offering residents the opportunity to speak directly with the project development team.

To participate in the event, dial toll-free 877-229-8493 and enter the access code 119551# when prompted. A slide show will also be available to view during the meeting at www.SavionVirtualMeetings.com.

Questions from the public will be addressed live at the meeting, and questions may also be submitted in advance using the “Contact Us” option on the project’s website at www.SuperiorSolarProject.com, organizers said.

Ryan Spitza can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 248. His email address is rspitza@miningjournal.net.