Owner/Developer Holland Board of Public Works General Contractor Barton Malow Lead Design Firm, Structural and MEP Engineer Zachry Group Owner’s Representative/Engineer HDR
When Holland, Mich., had to retire its aging coal-fired power plant, city officials and the community reimagined what a power plant could be. It would provide energy for the city as a state-of-the art combined-cycle natural-gas plant, but it would be set on a 26-acre park with natural wetlands and trails that link to the city. It would also feature a visitor’s center to educate on the process of making energy, and it would be attractive enough to become a gateway to an urban center known for its lakefront beaches and annual tulip festival. In the end, the 145-MW, $240-million project exceeded those goals, becoming the world’s first power generation plant to earn a verified platinum rating under the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision program.