After a packed public meeting on Sept. 9, EDP Renewables is one step closer to submitting an application to the Michigan Public Service Commission for approval of the proposed 810-acre Northern Waters Solar Park.
EDP Renewables is submitting its application in the wake of Public Act 233, passed in 2023, which gives the MPSC, rather than local municipalities, authority over large-scale renewable energy projects.
More than 250 Cheboygan residents attended the Sept. 9 meeting at the Chateau at Black Mountain and about 40 either spoke at the meeting or voiced their concerns prior to the meeting via email, Amy Varghese, EDP Renewables’ head of communication, said.
“The room was packed. The people had their say. There was overwhelming opposition to the project,” said Deb Buehner, who was among the residents who attended the meeting.
Buehner has been publicly opposed to the solar project and has previously said that industrial projects belong in industrial areas.
“The Northern Waters Solar team thanks all who attended to learn more about the Project and provide comments for the team’s consideration,” Varghese said. “Community engagement is an essential component of the development and operations approach for EDPR NA. This meeting builds on past public hearings and community events for Northern Waters Solar within the greater Cheboygan area, and the team looks forward to continuing development conversations.”
The MPSC process requires applicants to hold a public meeting in each city and township where the proposed facilities are located before filing an application.
Officials say the 110-megawatt solar facility, planned for Grant Township, would generate enough energy to power more than 30,000 homes and pay over $24 million in local taxes over its 35-year lifetime.
Cheboygan County had previously approved a special use permit for the project, but after a lawsuit by a group of nearby landowners, a judge vacated the permit due to unaddressed sections of the county’s ordinance.
Buehner, who participated in the lawsuit, said she’s advocating on behalf of her parents, Robert and Betty Johnson, whose property is surrounded on all sides by the proposed project.
With the special use permit from the county overturned, EDP Renewables is now pursuing the approval process through the MPSC. PA 233 grants the MPSC authority to approve large renewable energy projects, including solar projects that are 50-megawatts or larger, if the local zoning authority does not have a qualifying compatible renewable energy ordinance.
Cheboygan County did not respond to requests for comment after the meeting. In an announcement before the meeting, officials said the county would “ensure that local interests and concerns are appropriately represented throughout the state siting and permitting process.”
Varghese said Northern Waters Solar anticipates filing its full application to the MPSC later this year.
“The feedback and comments from residents regarding Northern Waters Solar during Wednesday’s meeting will be incorporated to the extent practicable within the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) application,” said Varghese.
Once submitted, the MPSC has 60 days to determine if the materials are complete or not. While determining completeness, the MPSC schedules a prehearing and interested persons may petition to intervene, or otherwise participate in the prehearing. The case may be contested, but the MPSC must issue an order approving or denying the application within one year of the complete application filing.
The MPSC has received 12 applications through PA 233, all of which are listed on its website and are for solar projects. The first and only application approved so far was in Ingham County on Aug. 27.
If the Northern Waters Solar Park is approved, construction is targeted to begin in 2028 and commercial operation in 2029.

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