ZEELAND TWP. — After nearly two hours in closed session, the Zeeland Township Board of Trustees unanimously voted April 29 to oppose a solar development from energy company RWE.
RWE filed an application with the Michigan Public Service Commission for the 1,900-acre project in Zeeland Township and Jamestown Township on April 3. At the time, officials in Zeeland Township were still developing standards for such proposals.
“I can assure you, as a trustee and as a board, I believe we will advocate for this community,” said Trustee Dave Barry. “We may not have final authority, but we do have a voice and we will tend to use it. We hear you, we respect your concerns and we will continue to represent this community with integrity as we navigate this together.”
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 part of the pre-application process under PA 233 — a relatively new state statute that 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.
RWE previously said the $330 million, 35-year project could power more than 34,000 homes. The company hopes to start construction as early as 2027.
Officials approves $100K to fight project before MPSC
Adhering to the process under PA 233, representatives from RWE granted Zeeland Township a total of $75,000 in local intervener funds. The board pre-approved spending of those funds and added $25,000 in local funds to fight the application at the state level.
The board also unanimously approved a cooperation agreement with Jamestown Township, though both municipalities will retain their own legal counsel.
“We want to present a unified front,” said attorney Dave Eberle. “(This is) demonstrating our commitment to cooperation but setting us up for success in the future, so we can have those privileged communications between our office and their office.”
Jamestown Township has also approved the cooperation agreement.
“We can compare notes,” Eberle said. “We can strategize on litigation … building toward that unified opposition.”
The board discussed the possibility of contracting with a public relations firm to further improve communication with residents. In the meantime, municipal staff and legal counsel are finalizing a community host benefit agreement with RWE. The agreement doesn’t signal support for the project, but guarantees additional funds required by statute. The item is expected to appear on a future meeting agenda.
“This is a very important time,” said Supervisor Kerri Bosma. “The last handful of months, we have made leaps and bounds — but I also understand it’s not a fast enough pace for many of you. I want to say I’m hearing you.”
What regulations are officials considering in Zeeland Township?
Those leaps and bounds have included conversations about a dedicated ordinance that would supply rules and regulations for solar and other similar developments. When considered by the state, those ordinances come in tiers, from developer-friendly Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinances to Workable Incompatible Ordinances to Unworkable Incompatible Ordinances.
When municipalities have a CREO in place, developers cannot seek approval through the MPSC. WIOs offer applicants a feasible alternative to the more expensive, time consuming and backlash-prone state process, but give municipalities more leeway in setting standards. UIOs are a stronger gamble, offering strict protections but discouraging applicants from seeking local approval.
The Zeeland Township Planning Commission previously discussed adopting a WIO, but seemed to lean toward a UIO during a meeting March 10. That decision was solidified by RWE’s choice to seek approval through PA 233.
Proposed regulations include limiting renewable energy developments to 300 acres in Zeeland Township — with only five of those acres available for battery energy storage systems. Other possible rules include airport-area restrictions, larger setbacks, and tightened wording for emergency plans and decommissioning.
Officials plan to add language that would prohibit the use of prime farmland for renewable energy projects. That measure will be considered during the commission’s next meeting, along with a draft of the ordinance, which will receive a public hearing before heading to the Zeeland Township Board of Trustees.
RWE’s state application can be accessed at tinyurl.com/258h9vbt. There’s currently a pre-hearing scheduled June 4.
— 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 Township unanimously opposes 1,900-acre solar farm
Reporting by Cassidey Kavathas, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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