This new law, effective November 2024, forces local communities to go through the state when it comes to the zoning authority of utility-scale wind and solar projects.
To "fast-track" the development of renewable energy projects, local voices were shut out of the conversation. The ability to decide where corporations place utilities like wind turbines, solar farms, and battery storage facilities should be decided by our own communities that we know best.
Michigan also has 1,200 miles of interstate ROW that can host thousands of acres of solar developments with no impact on farm ground or our neighborhoods and communities.
Michigan alone has 2 million roofs and 77% of them can host solar with a potential of 42.3 million MWh per year.
Source: Harvard Business Review:
https://hbr.org/2021/06/the-dark-side-of-solar-power
Image Source: Forbes, Bob Meinetz:
They neglect to include the mining, manufacturing, transportation, installation and maintenance and overlook the production and manufacturing of the panels causes waste and emissions.
The tons of waste that are generated by solar panels and the amounts in our landfills are also not talked about.
Under local control, Michigan has installed nearly twice as much wind capacity as Ohio and Wisconsin combined with their state-controlled siting. And Michigan has installed nearly identical amounts of solar as Wisconsin and Ohio. Developers exaggerate the roadblock local control presents.
Thank you for contacting us. If you are reaching out regarding how to sign a petition, do not yet have the petitions, but will be sending out an email blast and social posts as soon as we do have them.
The Board of Canvassers just approved the petition language late Friday afternoon, January 19th and we are waiting for the petitions to be printed. Once we begin gathering petitions, we will have 180 days to collect and submit the required 356,958 valid signatures from registered voters. The required number of signatures would need to be submitted by May 29th in order for the initiative to be placed on the November 2024 ballot.
Once we get the petitions, we will need all hands on deck!
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If you are reaching out with a question or to volunteer, please email us directly at citizensforlocalchoice@gmail.com
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Citizens for Local Choice
P.O. Box 14309
Lansing, MI 48901
Office: 215 S Washington Sq, Ste F, Lansing, MI 48933
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