Accelerating Deployment of Utility-Scale Wind and Solar in Rural Michigan

Presenters: Kaitlyn Sledge, MS (SusDev); Sophie Farr, MS (EPP); Ian O'Leary, MS (SusSys); Yingxin Wang, MS (GDS); Sarah Dieck, MS (BEC), MPP; Zona Martin, MS (EPP)

Advisor: Dr. Sarah Mills

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

Client: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)

To achieve the Michigan’s Healthy Climate Plan's goals to acquire 60% of the state's electricity fuel mix from renewable sources by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the pace of utility-scale renewable energy development across the state must increase. Currently, deployment of renewable energy is slowed in part because local governments have not set standards for this infrastructure in their zoning ordinances. Without ordinances that represent local perspectives, projects can be slowed or terminated in localities when development plans do not align with the township’s priorities.

This project aimed to develop a program that streamlines renewable energy siting by providing townships with recommendations and resources needed to write zoning ordinances that reflect community perspectives. To inform the program strategy, interviews were conducted with local government officials in 24 Michigan townships to gauge current barriers to proactive zoning, and identify strategies to facilitate zoning processes. The team then collaborated with two townships to pilot the program, which culminated in the delivery of customized draft ordinances for utility-scale wind and solar for each township.

In this report we provide recommendations to our client, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), for future iterations and rollout of the program. While key takeaways from this process emphasize the importance of collecting more robust community opinion data to ensure zoning decisions fully capture local preferences and further piloting is necessary to optimize programming, the Michigan Renewable Energy Development Initiative (MI REDI) model enhanced community discussions and understanding of the potential role of utility-scale renewables in local landscapes.