Detroit hands solar projects to DTE

Catch up quick: After seeking higher pay in its contract last fall, Lightstar recently told the city that following its private equity acquisition, it would no longer be in the solar development business.

• Now DTE will build all five solar sites, instead of just two. See maps of the solar zones.
• City Council's 6-3 approval Tuesday came after lengthy discussion.
• No votes came from members Angela Whitfield Calloway, Denzel McCampbell and Gabriela Santiago-Romero.

Flashback: Detroit is building ground-mounted solar arrays over 165 acres in five predominantly vacant sections of Detroit, after a community application process.

• In exchange for allowing the solar fields, nearby homeowners are in the process of getting free energy-efficiency upgrades.

Friction point: The city's goal is to clean up blighted areas and bring them into productive use while meeting greenhouse gas goals.

• Calloway, who opposes the solar projects and doesn't believe they'll improve neighborhoods, criticized the city Tuesday for not solving the problem with Lightstar sooner.
• She added that DTE is not to be trusted, having shut off so many residents' electricity.