North Michigan News

State Representative John Roth has cast a vote to return zoning and permitting authority over large-scale solar and wind projects to local governments. The legislation secured passage in the House along party lines.

"This fight is about so much more than just wind turbines and solar panels; it’s about restoring public trust in government," stated Roth. "Folks in my community are watching as decades of hard work and planning get put aside because some downstate bureaucrat said that solar panels would look nice next to the local elementary school. I can’t blame anyone for losing trust in a system that allows these swamp monsters to steamroll trusted local officials."

House Bills 4027 and 4028 aim to ensure that local government entities, rather than Lansing bureaucrats, have the power to make zoning decisions on large-scale wind and solar projects. This is a shift from current regulations, where the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) can override local zoning decisions. The commission gained this authority through comprehensive clean energy legislation enacted in 2023. Previously, local officials had the final say in approving such projects, treating them as standard local proposals.

"We’re quickly descending on a slippery slope of public distrust that can only be stopped by the immediate restoration of local control over these renewable energy projects," Roth commented. "People are already asking me: what’s next? Will they take away farmers’ ability to choose what crops they grow? Is the state going to start telling me where I have to send my kids to school? Folks are scared right now because they see a state government telling them it’s their way or the highway. The eroding trust in our system is not irreparable. However, the path to a solution only starts one way – with the immediate return of zoning and permitting decisions to the local leaders who were elected to make these choices in the first place."

The bill will now advance to the Senate for further review.