Lawrence Township in Van Buren County has been awarded a $425,000 state grant to support infrastructure and community improvements related to a major solar energy project.
The funding comes from Michigan’s Renewables Ready Communities Award program. It provides incentives to local governments that permit and host large-scale renewable energy projects.
Lawrence Township qualified for the grant by hosting the Murch Solar project, an 85-megawatt utility-scale solar farm now under construction. The project is being developed by Heelstone Renewable Energy and is associated with Amazon. It’s expected to begin operations in February of 2027.
Lawrence Township Permit Clerk and Housing Coordinator Matthew Sanborn tells us the grant will be used across three areas. About $150,000 will be added to the township’s road budget, another $200,000 will support home energy upgrades for residents, and the remaining $75,000 will be invested in parks and recreation, specifically at the Tiger Den.
Sanborn says the Murch project is “a great opportunity for Lawrence to reinvest in itself.”
