Future site of the
Butterworth Solar Array
About the Butterworth Landfill
The Butterworth Landfill is a ~180-acre site containing a former landfill closed in the early 1970s and placed on the EPA’s Superfund National Priorities List in 1986. These areas were used by local residents and industries to dispose of wastes.
In addition, this area was allegedly used to dispose of liquid wastes such as solvents and paint sludges. Industrial wastes disposed of at the landfill were allegedly in drums, which were buried, or simply dumped in liquid form on a working surface. Records indicate that from 1967-1971, about 3,000 to 4,000 yards of waste per day were received at the landfill.
Since remediation was completed in 2000, the site has been maintained as an open grass area with walking paths along the perimeter and an access road through the center providing access to the Grand River for public safety agencies.
Where is the site?
The Butterworth Landfill (orange shape) is located southwest of downtown Grand Rapids, directly adjacent to the Grand River on the south and east sides and borders the John Ball Neighborhood on the north side.
John Ball Neighborhood is one of Grand Rapids’ neighborhoods of focus – defined as census tracts with the highest percent of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color residents and the greatest disparities across all quality-of-life indicators (education, wealth, jobs, etc.).
The City owns about 145 acres of the former landfill and is pursuing two solar projects for the site:
- High priority: a solar system that maximizes behind-the-meter delivery to the City’s Primary Circuit.
- Secondary priority: utilize the remainder of the site for an independent solar project that would cost-effectively maximize local benefits and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
Any future development must be fully consistent with the Site’s remedial features and institutional controls to ensure long-term access to and protection of the Site’s remedies.
What is the Primary Circuit?
The City’s Primary Circuit (PC) is a 12,470/7200 volt electrical distribution system that the City owns and operates. The PC received 19,285,000 kilowatt hours of electricity from Consumers Energy in 2022 and distributed it to 18,000 streetlights, traffic signals, and approximately 120 facilities throughout the city.
With funding from the State, construction has begun to extend the PC to the Butterworth site. This adjacency will reduce the overall project cost and provide for easier interconnection to the PC.
The City's Primary Objectives
1. Supply the optimal amount of solar-powered electricity to the City’s PC, beginning in CY2026.
2. Maximize utilization of the remainder of the Site for installation of solar that can support other potential off-takers in a way that maximizes local GHG reduction impacts.
3. Maximize direct benefits for the Grand Rapids community (emissions reductions, air pollution reduction, affordability, electrification, jobs, etc.).
4. Demonstrate innovative approaches to deployment of solar in conjunction with additional beneficial reuse (i.e. distributed storage/resiliency, parking, recreation, interpretive/educational uses)
5. Leverage as much external funding as possible, including but not limited to federal, state, philanthropic and private dollars to support solar at Butterworth.
Learn more
Click the buttons below to view additional resources on the Butterworth Landfill
EPA's RE-powering America's Land
Learn about reusing former landfills for large solar projects
