ZEELAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Ottawa County is officially entering the state review process for the proposed Silver Maple Solar project after commissioners voted 10-1 Tuesday to intervene in the case before the Michigan Public Service Commission.
WATCH: Ottawa County votes to intervene in Silver Maple Solar case
The vote gives the county a formal role as state regulators consider the nearly 1,900-acre solar project proposed across Zeeland and Jamestown townships.
Commissioner Doug Zylstra cast the lone vote against intervention. Ottawa County Board Chair Josh Brugger said Zylstra did not believe the case was compelling enough for the county to become involved, while the other 10 commissioners voted to move forward.
Tuesday's meeting included three votes tied to the county's involvement.
PRIOR COVERAGE: Ottawa County could decide Oct. 27 whether to join Silver Maple Solar case
“The first vote was on whether or not the county should intervene,” Brugger said. “The second vote was on how to go about doing that.”
Both votes passed 10-1. The second authorized the county to move forward with the intervention process, including working with staff and hiring outside legal counsel.
Commissioners then voted to accept $50,000 in intervenor funding from RWE. The money is required to be offered under Public Act 233 and can be used to help cover the county's legal expenses associated with participating in the case.
“That was a unanimous vote to make sure that local taxpayer dollars are not going to be used on the front end as we work through this process,” Brugger said.
What Ottawa County's intervention means
Brugger stressed that the decision to intervene does not mean commissioners have taken a position for or against the Silver Maple project.
Instead, county leaders will now decide which countywide issues they want the MPSC to consider as it reviews RWE's application.
“We'll let the Michigan Public Service Commission know what impact this might have on Ottawa County, and offer suggestions on how best to mitigate any negative impacts,” Brugger said.
Brugger said the county could raise a range of issues as it develops its position in the case.
“We'll sit down as a board of commissioners, look at the different areas where the county ought to share its opinion with the MPSC and just to make sure that they're taking into account the county's interests, which could be farming, could be housing, and could be water, maybe all of the above,” Brugger said.
Brugger also said the county could examine other issues, including the electric grid, as commissioners and their legal counsel develop a strategy.
“I really do believe that solar is a part of the solution when it comes to energy in the long run,” Brugger said. “In this case, we just have to figure out how this solar project fits best in Zeeland, Jamestown Township, and into Ottawa County.”
Neighbors react to county vote
For some residents who have opposed the Silver Maple proposal for more than a year, Tuesday's decision was welcome news.
Laurie Vanhaitsma, a Jamestown Township farmer and township official, lives near the proposed project site.
“We own a sesquicentennial farm,” Vanhaitsma said. “That means it's been in my husband's family over 150 years. The same family. Which is why we're so passionate about preserving farmland.”
Vanhaitsma said residents had urged commissioners to intervene in the case.
“These farmers need our help. They need our support, and there were a lot of residents that came to that meeting to express, to encourage the board to do that,” Vanhaitsma said. “And they listened. To their credit, they listened. I think that's great.”
Vanhaitsma said she plans to continue opposing the project and raising concerns about Public Act 233, the state law that shifted approval authority for large renewable energy projects from local governments to state regulators.
“We just need to keep fighting,” Vanhaitsma said. “People need to be wise about how they vote. The reason this is happening is our Michigan Legislature has passed PA 233. They took away local authority and control. People need to do their research.”
Zeeland Township resident Cadence DeVree, who has also followed the project throughout the local and state proceedings, said she believes the county can bring broader issues into the discussion.
“They're able to take their side of the story, looking at it for the community of Ottawa County as a whole, saying, ‘Yeah, we have agriculture. We have a housing crisis, not just here, all over,’” DeVree said.
DeVree said she was grateful for Tuesday's decision.
“It just goes to show you that politics can be a little bit fun sometimes,” DeVree said. “It shows that politics, it can be useful. And I was so thankful and so excited.”
What happens next
Ottawa County has until Nov. 12 to file its intent to intervene with the MPSC.
“We intend to do that already,” Brugger said. “We've given staff the authority to go forward with that, and then the informal hearing, the first hearing is going to be on November 19th.”
Brugger said commissioners expect to meet with legal counsel before the first hearing to determine how best to represent Ottawa County residents during the proceedings.
The Silver Maple Solar project still requires approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission before it can move forward.
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