Residents in Northern Genesee County Gather to Fight Massive Solar Proposal

THETFORD TWP., MI — Gary Tilson moved back to northern Genesee County after retirement to raise cattle and grow hay. He ended up doing both but is also doing something he did not expect — fighting a massive proposed solar project with a 2,021-acre footprint in parts of Forest and Thetford townships.

Tilson is among the residents who plan to be at a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 20, at the township hall, located at 4012 E. Vienna Road. The meeting will also be broadcast via Zoom.

Otisville Solar Project Could Transform Rural Landscape

The project is proposed to be built in the area of North Belsay and East Wilson roads, with properties stretching several miles to the north, south, east and west.

In comments to the Michigan Public Service Commission, Tilson said his farm will be surrounded by the Otisville Solar Project proposed by EDF Renewables, a company that has developed 57 solar projects throughout the country.

Thetford and Forest townships are rural farming communities, and the residents will be harmed by a project of this size, Tilson wrote. A majority of each familys net worth is in the value of their home. It is completely unacceptable that a few property owners will benefit while the rest of the community will be negatively affected for decades.

Otisville Solar is one of nine projects in Michigan in which developers are seeking approval from the MPSC, leapfrogging local review under Public Act 233, a 2023 law approved by the Michigan Legislature.

State Law Shifts Power from Townships to Commission

Thetford Township officials called the meeting to advise and update residents about the project, which could be approved by the MPSC by the end of this year, and which township officials say could be in operation by 2028.

The new law establishes statewide standards for key issues such as setbacks, fencing, drainage and decommissioning, township officials wrote in a letter to residents last week. This means that our local government cannot set these basic standards even when they directly affect our community. Despite these limitations, the Board of Trustees will continue to voice concerns, provide input, and advocate for Thetford Township throughout the review process.

MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach a spokesperson for the EDF project on Monday, but the company has said in its application to the MPSC that it has been attempting to develop the project for more than six years.

Both townships have engaged in concerted efforts to block the project through various means, including but not limited to amending their respective ordinances to create unreasonable limitations that prevent the project from proceeding and that materially deviate from the requirements of PA 233, the application reads. Not only are these efforts fundamentally inconsistent with the objectives of PA 233, but they also operate to the direct detriment of the participating property owners rights and legitimate interests.

Thetford Township Supervisor Rachel Stanke said she wants to keep residents informed as the project moves through a process — even though they have limited input.

Its going to sad a lot of our residents enjoy the country, Stanke said. We are all country out here.

The supervisor said the township approved a new solar farm ordinance, a process that took years to complete, only to see key decisions about issues like equipment heights and setbacks shifted to the state.

Broader Pattern of Opposition Across Michigan

Tilson, a member of the township planning commission, was involved in the process and said once the state law and new ordinance were in place, EDF sought state rather than local approval.

People have worked their whole lives to establish themselves here, he said. People do not flock to areas with solar fields.

Tilson and the township officials are not alone in their concern over the shift to state approval of solar farms and other renewable energy projects. Just last week, an attorney for dozens of Michigan townships and counties appeared before a panel of three Michigan Court of Appeals judges in Detroit in a legal appeal of the new pathway for solar farm approval.

The communities appeal does not challenge Public Act 233 itself, but the rules developed by regulators.

MPSC Reviews Multiple Solar Applications

The MPSC website shows the state agency is now reviewing five applications for projects in Ingham, Genesee, Washtenaw, Lenawee and Sanilac counties.

Ranger Power has submitted several applications for solar farms across Michigan. Its Headland Solar Project proposal — a 220-megawatt solar farm on roughly 2,400 acres — was ruled incomplete by the MPSC. That project would have been built in Cohoctah Township and Conway Township in Livingston County.

RWE, a Germany-based energy company, is proposing Silver Maple Solar — a 200-megawatt project on up to 1,900 acres in Zeeland and Jamestown townships in Ottawa County.

Landowners Divided on Solar Deals

At the end of its operational life, the project will be decommissioned, and the land will be restored to its original use, according to RWE.

There are 51 separate parcels that RWE has either obtained lease agreements or transmission easements, according to the projects site plan.

Many residents spoke up in disfavor of the project, challenging RWs claims that it will benefit the community.

I do not like the way things work and how things scheme through the government how this things getting slid in, Trent Terhaar, a farmer of Zeeland Township, said. If this is so good, why are we ending it in 30 years and returning it back? If its so awesome, why arent we continuing it?

Some landowners who signed a lease with RWE spoke in favor of the project and gave their reasons for their decision at Tuesday meeting.

Because our land has been in our family for generations, selling the land to the highest bidders was not something we were ready to do, Larry Heyboer, a fifth-generation farmer in Zeeland, said.

We ultimately concluded that participating in this project was the right choice for our family, Heyboer said. For us, this project represents a way to preserve our land, maintain our financial stability and ensure this land remains in our family rather than being sold and permanently lost.

Developers Promise Tax Revenue and Energy Production

RWE hopes to begin construction by spring of 2027 and begin operations by fall of 2028. The $300 million project is expected to generate $31.6 million in local tax revenue over its lifetime.

Were confident this is a good thing for this community, Joe Brochu, development manager for RWE, told MLive. Its going to support local schools, roads, infrastructure, this is a fast-growing area, and this is the type of development that can provide a lot to the community without requiring more emergency services, more sewers or more utilities.

Rangers Acceleration Solar Project in Ingham County would produce enough energy to power an estimated 20,000 homes.

Once operational, the project will produce enough energy to power an estimated 20,000 homes, Brady Friss, Ranger Powers development manager, said in an email. The location was strategically selected because it is sited close to large load centers like Lansing, East Lansing, and Jackson, where the power is greatly needed and the existing transmission system is robust.

Friss said plans include the planting of deep-rooted plants, grasses, and flowers, which will create new habitat for pollinating insects and birds.

This new vegetation is also expected to help rebuild the soil, improve water quality, and reduce stormwater runoff, thereby reducing reliance on fertilizer, herbicide, and pesticides, Friss said. At the end of the projects life, the land will be restored for agricultural use.

Residents Question Long-term Viability

Brad Deweerd of Hudsonville raised concerns about soil compaction caused by the solar array.

I talked to a guy who works for a power company in Wisconsin that buys their power from solar facilities like this one. He said that the biggest concern they have there is the amount of soil compaction solar projects create. They barely can get anything to grow underneath the panels because so much compaction has been created between construction and operation, Deweerd said.

The MPSC has also ruled that RWEs Walker Road Solar Farm application is incomplete. That proposal involves using about 1,600 acres for a solar farm in Bingham Township, near St. Johns.

Last month, residents crowded the Bingham Township hall to protest and raise concerns about the project that a company official said would produce 150 megawatts of clean energy, which is enough to power about 28,000 homes, the Lansing State Journal reported.

The township board will not have a vote in the matter. Project Development Manager J. Kevin Cole said the companys goal is to submit its application to the MPSC by spring and have the facility under construction in 2027.

Legal Challenge Pending

The communities appeal of Public Act 233 rules is still pending before the Michigan Court of Appeals. That case does not challenge the law itself, but the regulations developed by regulators under the law.

Public Act 233 establishes a siting process at the Commission for utility scale wind, solar, and energy storage facilities under certain circumstances. The law requires developers to conduct consultation with certain state and local agencies and tribal governments.

Townships Push for More Local Control

We have been in conversations with the townships for about a year, and the ordinances are not quite there yet, so at this point we have to follow the best path available, Brochu said. Local permitting always is our preference, so we are not shutting the door on that, but we are moving forward with the best available route.

The MPSC requires that developers seeking to file a siting application with the Commission must include a summary of community outreach and education efforts, including a description of public meetings and meetings with elected officials.

State Agencies Involved in Consultation Process

The MPSC has collected contact information for consultation with various state agencies. These include:

  • United States Fish and Wildlife Service
  • Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  • State Historic Preservation Office
  • Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
  • Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
  • County Drain Offices
  • Tribal Governments

Under Public Act 233, developers must also meet setback requirements. For solar installations, the law requires 50 feet from the nearest public road right-of-way and 300 feet from the nearest occupied structure on nonparticipating properties.

What Comes Next

The Otisville Solar Project application is now before the MPSC for review. Township officials say they will continue to advocate for Thetford Township throughout the review process despite having limited input under the new law.

Tilson and other residents remain committed to opposing the project.

People have worked their whole lives to establish themselves here, Tilson said. People do not flock to areas with solar fields.

The MPSC has announced five applications under review, but local officials in multiple Michigan counties say they have done what they can to preserve local control over zoning decisions that affect their communities.

The legal challenge from a coalition of Michigan townships and counties is still pending and could shape how the MPSC reviews future solar farm applications.