Will a hefty solar project in Livingston County improve locals’ lives? Residents doubt it

• A proposed solar farm in Livingston County, Michigan is facing opposition from local representatives and residents despite promises of economic benefits and clean energy.
• The proposed Headland Solar Project, a 220-megawatt facility, has sparked debate over land use, property values, and local control under Public Act 233.
• While Ranger Power, the project developer, highlights economic benefits and temporary land use, residents express concerns about environmental impact, property devaluation, and loss of rural character.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY — A proposed solar farm in Livingston County will produce clean, renewable energy and provide economic benefits to the community, according to company officials.

But local representatives and residents resent the environmental and quality-of-life cost those benefits represent.

Headland Solar Project is a proposed 220-megawatt solar farm on roughly 1,500 acres in Cohoctah Township and Conway Township in Livingston County. It’s proposed by Ranger Power, a utility-scale renewable energy development company based in Chicago.

One megawatt of solar energy powers an average of 172 homes across the U.S., according to Solar Energy Industries. Ranger Power says “clean, renewable solar energy generates affordable electricity without producing air pollution or greenhouse gases.”

Headland is expected to generate more than $18 million in new tax revenue for the local communities over the project’s lifetime, according to Ranger Power, including $10.8 million for local schools and $1.6 million for police and fire services over the first 25 years in operation. That’s in addition to 250 construction jobs and 2-4 long-term jobs post-construction.

But it all comes without local approval, according to Cohoctah Township Supervisor Mark Fosdick and Conway Township Supervisor Mike Brown, who issued a joint statement in January opposing proposed solar projects. 

“We cannot, and will not, stand by as our farmland is bulldozed in the name of industrialization,” part of the statement reads. “The consequences for our children, our families, and our future are too severe to ignore. These developments threaten to turn our fertile soil into wastelands, putting at risk the livelihoods of those who have worked the land for decades. It is an insult to our heritage, and we will not allow it to stand.  

More: ‘Our way of life is not for sale’: Livingston officials want final say on energy projects

“… We demand that the State of Michigan take immediate action to enjoin implementation of PA 233 and protect our communities from this catastrophic legislation. Our rural way of life is not for sale, and we will not let these industrial giants trample on our rights and our future.” 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Public Act 233 in November 2023, shifting approval powers — in certain circumstances — away from local governments to the Michigan Public Service Commission, which approved an order last October to implement the law. 

According to the Detroit Free Press, PA 233 gives MPSC the authority to approve zoning applications for local solar and wind energy projects generating at least 100 megawatts of electricity.

Amendments to the legislation give municipal governments some control if they pass a “compatible renewable energy ordinance,” which some Livingston municipalities are working to do. Project sponsors are also required to work with local government officials and residents before going to the MPSC. 

The changes provide for payments of up to $150,000 to affected local governments, plus a “host community agreement” with the local municipality or community-based organization that gives a one-time payment of $2,000 per megawatt of capacity. Such an agreement went before Conway Township in February.

More: ‘Our way of life is not for sale’: Livingston officials want final say on energy projects

The Livingston County Board of Commissioners recently approved a resolution “to support local control and a claim of appeal filed by nearly 80 other local governments against the Michigan Public Service Commission.”

“It’s a good feeling for the people to know they’re being heard (at the county level),” Brown told The Daily.

Conway and Cohoctah are part of a lawsuit filed last November challenging PA 233.

‘Designed as a temporary use’

Drew Vielbig, director of development at Ranger Power, told The Daily there are several factors the company considers when determining the location of a project site, including available land. Headland is located on the property of participating landowners who have voluntarily agreed to host the project, he said. 

“These types of solar projects are formed on the basis of strong partnerships with local landowners, most often farmers, that have determined solar to be the best use of their private property,” Vielbig said. 

According to the project website, the photovoltaic panels “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 is designed to prevent glare and minimize sound, according to Ranger Power. The location is close to large load centers, such as Saginaw, Flint and Lansing. 

Another factor is access to transmission infrastructure. Utility-scale solar projects require access to existing transmission infrastructure to connect to the electrical grid, Vielbig said.

“In this case, Headland has determined the existing high voltage transmission lines near Fleming Road and Gannon Road in Cohoctah Township are adequate to accommodate the Headland Solar Project,” he said. 

Headland will also ensure land used for the project is preserved for future agricultural use.

“Unlike residential development, solar projects are designed as a temporary use, and at the end of the project’s lifetime, all facilities will be removed, and the land will be available for future farming use,” Vielbig said. 

‘We wish Ranger Power would go’

Fosdick reiterated to The Daily that Cohoctah and Conway are opposed to the project. 

“Between the two townships, we don’t want the development,” Fosdick said. “We wish Ranger Power would go to a community that (does).”

Headland representatives have been working with the local governments for nearly four years, according to Vielbig.

“We will continue to develop the Headland Project in a collaborative manner with the local community, and we plan to submit applications for special land use permits in the near future,” he said. 

Ranger Power hosted an open house Feb. 27 at the Alverson Center for Performing Arts at Fowlerville High School, but several community members stood opposed.

Joann Haas lives on two acres in Cohoctah Township. She’s lived in her home for 40 years. Haas said deer will lose their migration paths, and she believes she’ll lose half the value of her home. 

“I have all my blood, sweat, tears and money invested in this house and, by no fault of own, I’m going to lose that value of my home because of them,” Haas said. “I worked hard for 40 years and was a good steward of my money to pay off my home, and now I’m looking at this.” 

Haas said she won’t be able to sit on her porch and enjoy the view, and reiterated the state has taken away local rights. 

“It’s just heartbreaking for me and my neighbors,” she said. 

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Kennedy Parker lives on three acres in Conway Township with her husband, Tom. They bought the property in 2019. Two years prior, Parker was in a car accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury. She told The Daily they moved from Williamston to Conway for her to recover and spend retirement. 

“The anticipation for coming into this community was the quietness,” Parker said. 

She’s worked hard to recover, but is concerned with the sound of inverters contributing to neurofatigue. She called the state’s oversight “wrong” and “unethical.” 

“This entire typography is being resurfaced with an industrial solar power plant, many of them,” Parker said. “This is not what people bought these farmlands for.” 

Brown told The Daily “a large majority” of residents oppose the proposed project. He said townships spent a lot of money working on solar ordinances before PA 233.

“They took local people’s voices away, and that’s not right,” Brown said. 

Vielbig said the project will be designed to meet the minimum sound limits as described in PA 233, including the addition of inverters. 

Headland also commissioned a third-party expert to study neighbor property values in regards to solar projects. According to Vielbig, the analysis “confirmed that solar projects do not have a negative impact on property values.” 

“Headland is developing a robust and voluntary landscaping plan that will allow project neighbors to provide input on the specific type of landscaping that will be incorporated near their residence,” Vielbig said. “This proposed landscaping plan is being developed and proposed based on feedback and input received from various community members.” 

Vielbig encourages the public to contact Ranger with questions or comments at drew@rangerpower.com. More information about the project is available at headlandsolar.com. 

— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @SalsaEvan.