Governor Gretchen Whitmer Enforces Statewide Clean Energy Siting Rules to Accelerate Solar Grid Projects

LANSING, MI — Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) commenced formal enforcement on Tuesday of landmark clean energy siting regulations that grant state utility commissioners final authority over the permitting of utility-scale solar, wind, and battery storage projects.

The regulatory transition, enacted under Michigan's Clean Energy and Jobs Act, is designed to overcome local zoning moratoriums that halted dozens of renewable energy developments across rural counties.

Accelerating the Clean Energy Grid Under the new regulatory framework:

• Commercial energy developers seeking to construct solar facilities over 50 megawatts or battery storage over 100 megawatt-hours can apply directly to the MPSC if local township boards fail to approve applications within 120 days.
• Approved projects must pay host communities mandatory annual community benefit payments and submit bonded decommissioning plans ensuring farmland is fully restored after project lifespans.
• Developers must guarantee prevailing wages and utilize domestic union labor for electrical and civil construction.

"We cannot build a 21st-century manufacturing economy and protect our Great Lakes without reliable, affordable clean energy," Governor Whitmer stated. "By creating a predictable, statewide permitting standard, we are cutting through red tape, creating union jobs, and ensuring Michigan powers its own future."

Legal and Grassroots Challenges Township advocacy groups and agricultural preservation organizations expressed strong opposition, filing legal challenges in the Michigan Court of Appeals arguing that state preemption violates constitutional home-rule guarantees.

MPSC officials scheduled regional public hearings to allow community members to submit environmental and agricultural impact feedback on pending project applications.