Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


An open house was held Thursday night regarding a large solar project spanning two local townships.

More than 100 people were in attendance, with the majority being residents opposed to the project being proposed by Headland Solar to be developed by Ranger Power. Plans call for a 220-megawatt solar project in Conway and Cohoctah Townships on approximately 1500-acres. The company says the project will “provide clean, locally generated power while generating significant environmental and economic benefits for the community”.

The open house at the Alverson Center for Performing Arts in Fowlerville was not a public forum and had company representatives on hand, along with the engineering company that did environmental studies. Photos and maps were available and set up around the room showing solar panels and things like cornfields and soybean fields.

Conway Township Resident Steven Weiss told WHMI he thought it was interesting and went well, saying there were some residents who were a little passionate about what’s going on and not happy who expressed their feelings - which he was glad to see.

Weiss said he thought the overall showing from the community in opposition was good and he did have some dialogue with a few representatives – calling it the “same old song and dance” in which they tell their side and how great everything is – which he doesn’t believe.

The issue has been ongoing since 2021.

From what he gathered, Weiss said the target date of installation is 2027 and it would be a 30-year lease. He noted any project would be taxed at the same agricultural rate since it’s considered to be “harvesting the sun”.
For some of the farmers leasing their land, he said their pitch is small farmers can't make it anymore and this will help subsidize their income.

However, he asserted the majority of the property is not small farmers trying to subsidize their income – the majority of the property is owned by one very large landowner.

No formal plans have been submitted to the township or Planning Commission to date but Weiss says he was told the company is planning too.

Weiss said the township was approached two years ago by the company, which stated they wanted to do this development so the township re-wrote its ordinance and created a solar overlay district setting local standards and guidelines. He said that encompasses about 300 acres of land – which he felt is very generous - but that’s not enough for the company which wants a minimum of 1500 to 2000 acres of land.

Weiss noted further this is not the only such development coming to Livingston County. He said it’s not just Ranger Power but DTE Energy and others and all told, there’s going to be possibly 6000 acres of solar all over the county – namely in Conway, Cohoctah, Marion, and Iosco Townships.

While no formal applications have been submitted, Weiss says they know through public records that companies have leased land, contacted property owners, offered them agreements, and contracts have been signed.

Weiss said he feels this is all a big money grab in his personal opinion and a very inefficient way to generate power – especially in the state of Michigan. He said for the amount of land they’re using to get to 200 megawatts is ridiculous and he doesn’t see how that is good for the environment at all. Weiss said they’re taking high-quality, productive farmland out of production to put solar panels on it and it just doesn’t make any sense.

Weiss added that with the Michigan Public Service Commission and Public Act 233, companies can go to the state – superseding local governments – and their parameters are extremely small as far as restrictions go.

Weiss said half of the problem is that they used to have local control of zoning in their own townships and they don’t anymore. He noted that with the state takeover with the siting of these projects has really “rubbed everybody the wrong way” and it could have been handled at the local level. Whether developers liked their plans or not, he said they could have handled things at the local level – adding when local communities don’t have a say of what happens in their communities it’s not good and government overreach.

Weiss commented further to stress they are not against solar but large industrial-scale solar in the community involving state overreach and loss of local control.

The project website states “the photovoltaic panels used in the Headland Solar Project will be surrounded by prairie grasses and pollinators compatible with grazing and beekeeping. Rows will be separated by 15-25 feet, wide enough to drive a vehicle between. The project, located on the open, vacant, land of private landowners who have chosen to participate in the project, is designed to prevent glare and to minimize sound. The location is ideal due to its proximity to large load centers such as Saginaw, Flint, and Lansing. Solar energy provides local farmers with a stable source of income during times of volatile input prices while protecting their land for future generations. The project will be located primarily on fields and vacant land. At the end of the project life, the project will be decommissioned, and the land will be available for future agricultural use”.