Citizens for Local Choice
I would like to say “thank you” to the Brandon Township Planning Commission for allowing me the opportunity to speak at their Public Hearing meeting on Wind, Solar and Battery Energy Storage Facilities. I appreciate the time, hard work, and foresight the Planning Commission is doing on behalf of our community. A special thank you to Donna Ferrara for her willingness to research and work together on what options our community has to protect our land and surroundings. This will change the entire landscape of Michigan.
Public Act 233 signed by Governor Whitmer in November, 2023 stripped away local control of Ordinances from municipalities in regards to these projects. A State Commission, handpicked by Whitmer, will now have control over these facilities in Michigan. They will decide what is best for our communities. Whitmer’s aggressive mandate will require 1.2 – 1.5 million acres, will cost households $1,500 – $2,500 more per year, and according to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy will “cause blackouts with outages being more frequent in the winter. Michigan already is one of the five most power-outage-prone states in America with outage rates that are double the national average and by far the worst in the Midwest.”
I have joined with a group called “Citizens For Local Choice” and will be collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to restore local control. Regaining local control will allow municipalities to make the best determinations on where these facilities could/could not work, liability requirements, erosion, sound glare, landscaping, etc., that should be included in the development of these facilities. Please consider signing the petition or volunteering to help with petitions. I will post on my FB page where you can find me.
Understand that this is just the beginning if we allow for the State to make unacceptable mandates such as this. Elections have consequences and this law is a direct result.
Melanie Nivelt
Ortonville