LESLIE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (News 10) – For the first time, state regulators have signed off on a settlement clearing the way for a large-scale solar project, after a controversial state law stripped local townships of the power to block it outright.
Leslie Township Supervisor Dallas Henney calls it a stick without a much-needed carrot.
“They just said, we’re going to jam it down your throat whether you like it or not. So here we are,” Henney said.
Henney is referring to Public Act 233, a 2023 law that gives the state of Michigan the authority to approve large-scale renewable energy projects.
That authority usually belongs to local governments. The law is now clearing the way for an upcoming 90-megawatt solar farm in southern Ingham County, called Acceleration Solar.
“Everybody’s aware that going through the Michigan Public Service Commission, the project was going to happen whether the local unit wanted it or not,” Henney said.
Project details and settlement terms
The project will cover 870 acres of land in Leslie, Onondaga and Vevay townships.
Local rules in those townships were stricter than Michigan law allows, so instead of letting the state decide unilaterally, the townships negotiated a settlement directly with the developer, Ranger Power.
The settlement adds extra screening to block the panels from view and stricter noise limits and makes the state — not the townships — responsible for tearing down the project once it eventually goes offline.
Michigan Public Service Commission Chairman Dan Scripps said the settlement also secured “hundreds of thousands of dollars in direct payments” for the three townships, along with funding for township legal expenses, drain maintenance, and training for local fire personnel and first responders.
Ingham County itself chose not to join the settlement but separately negotiated its own direct-payment agreement with the developer, according to Scripps.
“I feel content with that. Not happy, just content,” Henney said.
The Michigan Public Service Commission voted unanimously to approve the settlement between the townships and the developer.
“This is, in my view, an example of getting this right. It is a law that is working as intended, changing the conversation around development, but also meaningful opportunities for local engagement in the process,” Scripps said.
A clash of interests
“This really represents a tension between the property owners, the township and the local zoning officials and their authority, and the state’s interest in a clean energy future,” said Erik Nordman, director of the MSU Institute of Public Utilities.
Nordman said Michigan’s renewable energy goals are driving these decisions. State law requires Michigan to reach 100% clean energy by 2040.
He also pointed to ongoing research aimed at easing tension between farming communities and solar development.
“Agriculture and renewable energy development are not mutually exclusive. Many of my colleagues here at Michigan State University are working on projects that they call agrivoltaics, integrating agriculture and photovoltaic solar panels,” Nordman said.
The fight over Public Act 233 is not over.
Seventy-nine Michigan townships and counties have filed with the Michigan Supreme Court, asking it to step in after the Michigan Court of Appeals issued a split ruling in May.
The townships argue regulators illegally narrowed the definition of a “compatible renewable energy ordinance,” the tool local governments can use to retain zoning authority over these projects.
Nordman said the courts have upheld PA 233 so far, despite both the legal challenge and a separate push in the legislature to repeal the law outright.
Until that fight is resolved, the Ingham County project stands as the first test case for how the law works in practice.
Stream News 10 Lansing on your favorite devices! Here’s how to download the News 10+ app on Roku, Fire TV or Apple TV.
Be the first to see the Mid-Michigan headlines you care about – download the News 10+ app and subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and YouTube page to receive the latest local news and weather.
Copyright 2026 WILX. All rights reserved.

source