ZEELAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Zeeland Township is sending letters to President Trump and members of his cabinet, asking for support in its fight against a proposed solar farm that local leaders say threatens agricultural land and strips communities of local decision-making authority.
WATCH: Zeeland Township asks Trump administration to back local control fight against solar farm
The township is locked in a legal and regulatory battle with RWE Americas over the Silver Maple Solar Farm, a $300 million, 200-megawatt project that would span 1,900 acres of agricultural-zoned land across Zeeland and Jamestown townships.
"There's a solar industrial complex that's looking at building on our farmland here that's the size of Zeeland City, and RWE stepped beyond our local planning commission, did not want to wait for us to do our due diligence on working on an ordinance, and went to the MPSC level," Zeeland Township Supervisor Kerri Bosma said.
RWE Americas is seeking approval for the project from the Michigan Public Service Commission. After its application was suspended for several months at the company's request, RWE officially refiled that application with the commission last Friday.
Zeeland Township filed a lawsuit against RWE Americas in July, arguing that Public Act 233 — a state law that removes local oversight of energy developments — is unconstitutional.
"Fighting this not only at the MPSC level in Lansing, we're also fighting this, well, we tried to keep it in our local courts, and RWE moved it to the federal courts, and we are looking to remand that back to our local courts," Bosma said.
Bosma gathered Thursday with Township Trustee Jeff Salisbury, Sen. Roger Victory, and Ottawa County Commissioners Jacob Bonnema and Joe Moss to announce the letter-writing effort.
"I will be signing letters to our president, also to the Secretary of Energy, our Secretary of Agriculture, and to others, there's going to be a blitz of letters going out asking for support," Bosma said.
The letters outline the township's fight against the RWE Americas solar farm proposal and invite President Trump to see the situation in person.
"I would love to see our president see firsthand what is happening here in Ottawa County with PA 233, what that is doing to our farmland, and then also I would appreciate the opportunity to have him see what's happening with just the agricultural businesses that are being affected that also trickle to our economy as well," Bosma said.
For Sen. Roger Victory, R-Michigan, 31st District, the issue is personal. Victory grew up farming the land now at the center of the dispute.
"As a four-year-old, as always on my grandpa's farm, I thought we'd never be on a piece of property of controversy that we would have to be writing the President of the United States. Amen," Victory said.
Victory said the issue extends beyond the solar farm proposal.
"I had opportunity even to just discuss this with our federal officials, Secretary Wright of Energy, of this aspect of our energy issues. We have the Campbell power plant, and then we have that situation, we have the solar, and it's been really disrupting our communities," Victory said. "It's ripping the souls out of our communities when some outside entities come in and want to make a major change and put a huge industrial facility in what you see behind me."
Ottawa County Commissioner Jacob Bonnema, 4th District, who also lives in the area, said the county commission is committed to standing with the township.
"We support Kerri Bosma, her leadership, what's going on, Howard Fink here in Zeeland, and we want to make sure that the county commission plays a role in that. And we'll determine what the appropriate role is soon enough," Bonnema said. "The decisions that affect our land have to be fought for, and the people in the community need to be making those decisions, not people outside the community in Lansing and beyond."
Ottawa County Commissioner Joe Moss, 5th District, said the fight is about more than one solar project — it is about preserving local authority across Michigan.
"PA 233 does have direct impact and negative impact on our constituents, and we need people to understand at the local, state, and national level how this type of policy that removes local control and local decision-making has a negative effect," Moss said. "I've been very impressed with Zeeland, and how they have been put into this situation not by choice, but have risen to the challenge, and so that is excellent to see our local elected officials not sitting back, but using their voice and also listening to the people."
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