Sault Ste. Marie's Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has the go-ahead to mount solar panels on the roof of the water treatment plant.
Under its Feed-in Tariff program, the project's 461 solar panels will generate 132 KWH of energy, which will help operate the treatment plant, as well as provide roughly $2 million in revenue for the PUC over the next 20 years.
Panels made by local company Heliene Inc. will be used for the project.
The new solar system will reduce negative emissions from the plant equal to the carbon dioxide created by vehicles driving more than 12 million km.
In a news release, Sault MPP David Orazietti said roughly $1 billion in alternative energy investments have been made in the Sault and surrounding area.