ZEELAND TWP. — With a proposed solar development officially going through the state, the Zeeland Township Planning Commission worked towards a stricter renewable energy ordinance at its April 14 meeting.
Global energy company RWE filed an application with the Michigan Public Service Commission for a 1,900-acre solar development in Zeeland and Jamestown Townships on April 3.
The proposal, Silver Maple Solar, is a 200‑megawatt project on agricultural-zoned land south of I-196 near Ottawa Executive Airport. RWE held public hearings March 17-19 as a part of a pre-application process under PA 233.
According to RWE External Communications Senior Manager Kellie Woods, the company is exclusively pursuing the MPSC process for Silver Maple Solar, but will continue to engage with local officials throughout the process.
The application with the state can be accessed at tinyurl.com/258h9vbt. A pre-hearing is scheduled June 4.
RWE says the $330 million, 35-year project could power more than 34,000 homes. The company hopes to start construction as early as 2027.
PA 233 allows applicants behind utility-scale solar, wind and battery energy storage projects to seek approval directly from the MPSC, unless all affected local governments have adopted ordinances that are no more restrictive than state standards.
Enacting stricter regulations
Zeeland Township previously discussed adopting a “Workable Incompatible Ordinance,” which permits large-scale projects but has more constraints than a Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance. WIOs offer developers a feasible alternative to the more expensive, time consuming and backlash-prone state process. Jamestown Township passed an ordinance in July 2025.
At the March 10 meeting, the Zeeland Planning Commission began leaning toward an Unworkable Incompatible Ordinance. With RWE deciding to go to the state, commissioners felt no need to continue with a WIO on April 14.
“If the planning commission is desiring to no longer do a workable ordinance … then that raises the question of, do you want go further in your non-workability and adopt an ordinance that would look like what you would ideally have if PA 233 wasn’t there,” legal counsel Dave Eberle said.
Commissioners decided to enact stricter regulations including allowing only 300 acres in the township to be used for renewable energy and only five of that 300 to be used for battery energy storage systems. The updates also included additional restrictions around the airport, larger set backs for renewables and tightened language for emergency plans and decommissioning.
The commission plans to add restrictions to prohibit the use of prime farmland for renewable energy projects. This will be considered at the next planning commission meeting, along with a draft of the ordinance.
“In the public hearing when you’re doing the master plan, it’s always a resounding from the people, ‘Keep it AG, Keep it AG,’” Commissioner Dennis Russcher said. “That is a resounding support for farmland.”
After the planning commission finishes work on the ordinance, it will be set for a public hearing before heading to the board of trustees for approval.
‘Gearing up for a fight’
Following ordinance work, the commission discussed next steps with RWE’s MPSC application. Public comment urged the township to partner with Jamestown Township against the proposal.
“The state has taken our local control. They have moved this battlefield from our town halls to their courtrooms and Lansing, hoping we will be too small, too divided and too quiet to stop them,” resident Cadence Seeley said. “This isn’t just acreage on a developer’s map. This is our heritage, our homes and our children’s future.”
Eberle said the township is already in communication with Jamestown, and the townships have received their local intervener funds of $75,000 each.
Zeeland Township is in communication with RWE to negotiate a community host benefit agreement. The agreement doesn’t signal township support for the project, but guarantees funds to the township as required by statute, according to Eberle.
Eberle said the timeline for the process will be set at the pre-conference hearing on June 4. RWE has 60 days from application submission to continue to update its filings. If the MPSC determines RWE’s filing is incomplete, the company will have to refile.
On May 5, the Zeeland Township Board of Trustees will most likely enter a closed session to discuss legal strategy regarding the the MPSC application.
“We are gearing up for a fight because we are anticipating that is the direction we are going,” Eberle said.
Residents can file public comments on Silver Maple Solar with the MPSC, which will be part of the official case record. Comments can be filed at tinyurl.com/258h9vbt, and must include a name and email address.
— Cassidey Kavathas is the politics and court reporter at The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at ckavathas@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on X @cassideykava.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Zeeland Twp. ‘gearing up for a fight’ over RWE’s state solar application
Reporting by Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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