New legislation from state Rep. Greg Alexander will re-empower communities and residents with how key zoning decisions come together.

House Bills 4027-28 restore local control to municipalities for energy project siting.

The plans come on the heels of measures that were advanced by the Democrat-controlled House during the 2023-24 legislative term and signed into law by the governor that stripped control away from local communities concerning solar and wind projects.

Under the law, the unelected Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) now has the power to override local decision-making authority on wind and solar siting. Over 200,000 acres of land is estimated to be needed for these types of developments to meet accelerated and impractical energy mandates by 2035. Michigan currently has about 17,000 acres occupied by wind and solar operations, and rural areas across the state are expected to bear the brunt of expanded siting.

“People in many areas of the state, including in our region, are clear that they don’t want this type of development in their communities and feel these laws established the heavy hand of government directly into their lives,” said Alexander, of Carsonville. “Local communities should have the final say on whether they want wind and solar sites within their borders. The Michigan Green New Deal that was imposed on local governments last session stripped locals of their authority to make such decisions and it amounted to a total lack of respect for the will of the people. I am working to rectify that wrong and bring this back to where the public has a say.”

Alexander has been a consistent advocate for preserving local control as the previously signed laws worked their way through the Legislature during the previous term. He proposed a pair of amendments that would have protected Michigan’s prominent agriculture industry. One would have allowed top agricultural producing counties to be exempt from the MPSC’s overreach, but they were not adopted by the Democrat majority.

HBs 4027-28 have been referred to the House Energy Committee for consideration.

PHOTO INFORMATION: State Rep. Greg Alexander, of Carsonville, introduces House Bills 4027-28 at the state Capitol on Thursday, Jan. 23. The plans restore local control to municipalities for large-scale energy project siting.