Starr Commonwealth, a nonprofit treatment and recovery center for troubled youth near Albion, Mich., has joined with seven companies in a bid to develop a 200-megawatt hybrid wind and solar project, which would be the largest such project in the Midwest, if not in the world. The bid was submitted in response to a DTE Energy Co. request for proposal (RFP) for large-scale renewable energy generation.

While it’s unclear whether DTE Energy will choose the bid spearheaded by the group, the fact that it’s a hybrid wind and solar farm, and that it would be built on 2,500 acres make it a unique application. Starr would generate some revenue from the land use and receive a share of the money from the generation. In addition, it would create a renewable-energy-job training program based on the project.

The utility is expected to make the decision within closing the submission process, said Ken Sexton, operations manager at Patriot Solar Group.

Patriot Solar will design the 100-MW photovoltaic aspect of the project and will provide the mounting and racking systems for the Wanxiang America modules.

“By the end of May, they should have the decision,” he said.

DTE issued the RFP in an attempt to introduce more renewables into its electric portfolio to meet the requirements of Michigan’s Renewable Energy Standard.

“The Michigan Renewable Portfolio Standard requires us to cause 300 MWs of new renewable capacity to be built by the end of 2013, ramping up to 600 MWs by the end of 2015,” said DTE Energy spokesperson John Austerberry. “We issued an RFP in November 2010, seeking proposals for a total of 245 MWs of renewable energy from wind, solar, hydro, biomass or landfill gas facilities that would be operating by the end of 2014.

“Of that amount, approximately 120 MW would be operating by the end of 2012. We choose not to disclose the exact number of proposals received, but we did get a substantial response to our RFP,” he said.

The group working with Starr consists of seven companies.

“New Generation is getting all the ingredients together,” Sexton said.

Patriot will work with Martifer Solar USA on the project, while Windemuller Electric will build the 100 MWs of wind generation. Other partners in the proposal will include Solar Street Lights USA and Anderson Environmental & Engineering.

Image courtesy of Patriot Solar, of one of their pole-mounted trackers.