UP Gazette

State Rep. Dave Prestin cast his vote on Wednesday in favor of a plan to return zoning control over large-scale renewable energy projects to local oversight. The proposal passed the House with support along party lines.

“We’re restoring local control because zoning authority belongs with the people who know their communities best,” explained Prestin, R-Cedar River. He emphasized the importance of local governments in planning zoning for broad timelines, stating, “This process protects property rights across the board, from single-family homes to recreational areas and even the largest industrial facilities. People shouldn’t have to worry about the empty lot next to them being developed into green energy infrastructure. The state shouldn’t be able to decide that someone’s backyard is suitable for potentially hazardous renewable energy projects.”

The proposed legislation, House Bills 4027-4028, aims to transfer the zoning and permitting authority for large-scale renewable energy projects back to local governments, a power now exercised by the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). These powers were centralized under comprehensive green energy laws enacted in 2023, requiring the MPSC to approve projects that meet specific legal criteria. Previously, local approval was necessary for such projects.

Prestin further commented, “As the closest unit of government to the people, our local officials need zoning authority to plan their communities. That authority is undermined when the state can just drop a massive solar field or hundreds of windmills wherever they please. Current law doesn’t give local governments or even the MPSC any latitude to consider what community members want. These bills return zoning authority back to the communities where it rightfully belongs.”

The bill will now be forwarded to the Senate for further deliberation.