News Story
July 22, 2017
Replace Coal With Solar? We’re Going To Need A Lot Of Acres
Upper Peninsula plant one example of how much land solar energy takes
A typical solar power installation needs 7.6 acres of land to produce 1 megawatt of electricity.
The Presque Isle coal plant in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which is scheduled to be shut down in 2020, can produce up to 359 megawatts of electricity on the 65 acres it occupies.
When it comes to land use, in this instance a coal plant is 42 times more efficient than solar panels.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.
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