Large Michigan Solar Projects Can Now Bypass Township Permit Denials. 122 of 148 Lawmakers Took Utility Money
One of Michigan’s electric utilities, Consumers Energy, announced plans to build up to 9,000 megawatts of solar power on 209,000 acres of farmland. The total size of these solar projects is about 326 square miles. That’s about 2.5 times the size of Detroit itself.
Nearly all these costs get added to citizens’ electric bills. Recognizing this would likely create opposition within townships, Democrat politicians in Michigan passed Public Act 233. It overrides a township if they deny a solar or wind farm permit.
For decades, Michigan’s 1,773 local township governments had the authority to decide whether a large solar farm could be built in their communities. In late November of 2023, Public Act 233 was signed into law. Larger solar (>50MW) and wind (>100MW) projects can now skip the voices of local residents. They now have almost no say in some of Michigan’s biggest industrial projects.
If the local jurisdiction denies the solar application, takes too long, or imposes excessive rules, the developer can bypass the township entirely. They can apply directly to the 3 person Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) for approval. All 3 commissioners are appointed by Democrat governor Gretchen Whitmer. In some cases, these developers can bypass townships from the onset.
PA 233 was introduced by MI House of Representatives Abraham Aiyash (D), a top Muslim lawmaker from the Detroit area. Every Democrat voted in favor of the bill, every Republican against (20-18). Like fascists, the MI Democrats took oversight from these small townships and gave it to MPSC. Democrats also control MPSC, which determines how much the two utility companies can charge their MI customers (Consumers Energy, DTE Energy).
Due to the One Big Beautiful Bill, the tax breaks of 30% will end this summer. To get the full break, projects must start building before July 4th or finish by December 31, 2027. Consumers Energy is rushing to get projects approved before the deadline. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy estimates that losing the tax credits, plus tariff increases, could push costs up 40% or more.
FOLLOW THE MONEY: CMS Energy owns Consumers Energy and NorthStar Clean Energy, a development company headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI. NorthStar builds solar, wind, and energy storage projects. They sell the electricity to Consumers Energy. The money flows out of the pockets of electricity users, to Consumers Energy, to NorthStar, and then up to their parent company, CMS Energy.
Although MI residents make payments directly to Consumers Energy, CMS Energy is in control of the whole operation. They plan to spend $17 billion over five years on new energy projects. Most of that money will eventually come from the people who pay electric bills.