ZEELAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Neighbors in Zeeland and Jamestown townships continue monitoring a proposed solar farm project that would span both municipalities as Ottawa County officials consider how to participate in the ongoing case before the Michigan Public Service Commission.
WATCH: Ottawa County weighs role in paused Silver Maple solar farm case as neighbors continue opposition
RWE Americas’ Silver Maple Solar Farm application was suspended in July after the company said it needed time to evaluate a recent Michigan Court of Appeals ruling that broadened the definition of an “affected local unit,” or ALU.
Under previous rules, only local governments directly tied to the project area qualified as affected local units. The updated interpretation could include Ottawa County.
During a county commission meeting last week, Ottawa County Board Chair Josh Brugger said officials are reviewing what role the county could play if the application is reactivated.
“With the ... recent appellate court decision, we’ll have to look into a little bit of what it means to be an intervener, how exactly we can participate,” Brugger said. “We want to do our best to advocate for the municipalities, the townships that are in Ottawa County, and to champion their causes.”
Brugger said Zeeland and Jamestown townships have both indicated opposition to the project and said he anticipates Ottawa County would likely support their position.
The proposed solar farm would cover about 1,900 acres currently zoned for agriculture across both townships. RWE has said the project could generate enough electricity to power more than 34,000 homes.
The application pause comes as Zeeland Charter Township pursues a lawsuit filed in early July against Silver Maple PV and parent companies RWE Americas Services and RWE Solar Development, arguing that Public Act 233, which removes local oversight of energy developments, is unconstitutional.
Brugger said he believes solar energy can play a role in Ottawa County, but questioned whether the current proposal and state law strike the right balance between renewable energy development and local land use concerns.
“There are municipalities like the city of Grand Haven who are actively putting solar panels out by our airport right now,” Brugger said. “I think that’s a great place for them.”
He also pointed to Ottawa County’s Southwest landfill as another possible site for future solar development, noting the property cannot be built on for decades.
“Solar is a part of the solution, but the way that PA 233 is framed right now, it’s not looking like a good solution,” Brugger said.
Brugger said the law has created what he described as unintended consequences for growing communities like Ottawa County.
“Ottawa County is one of the fastest-growing counties by population in the state of Michigan, and when you’re putting pressure like this on land use, Lansing is actually driving up housing costs in Ottawa County,” he said.
Neighbors opposed to the project said they were encouraged by Brugger’s comments during last week’s meeting.
Cadence DeVree said the proposed development has strengthened connections among neighbors who want to preserve the rural character of the area.
“This area means home to me,” DeVree said. “My kids call it home. My kids’ grandparents both are in the area, so it’s just where we want to raise our babies and watch them grow up.”
Christi Meppelink said the close-knit nature of the community is part of why residents have continued organizing against the proposal.
“We’re not going to just back out because there’s a pause,” Meppelink said. “If they’re hoping we get sick of it or fatigued or whatever, that’s not going to happen. We’ll still be here.”
RWE Americas sent FOX 17 the statement below.
The Silver Maple permit application is paused while we conduct additional outreach with local stakeholders. As part of that outreach, we have scheduled public meetings in Zeeland and Jamestown Townships. RWE remains committed to the project, and we expect to move forward with our application in the near future.
Silver Maple represents a significant investment in Michigan — creating construction jobs, generating local tax revenue, providing income for participating landowners, and helping meet the state's growing demand for reliable, domestically produced energy. RWE is committed to responsibly developing the project and engaging with the local community.
Public meetings hosted by RWE are scheduled for Sept. 2 at the Drenthe Grove Dozeman Center in Zeeland Township and Sept. 3 at Evergreen Ministries in Hudsonville. Both meetings are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
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