Lincoln Township Trustees have held a first reading on an 18 month moratorium on large scale green energy projects. At a Tuesday meeting, planning commission member and Trustee Mark Florian said talks out of the Michigan Township Association have focused on some of the negative effects of such developments when they’re not properly zoned. The planning commission wants to come up with an ordinance for them during the 18 month moratorium.
“If the planning commission feels that it’s necessary, and I think they’re going to find that it is necessary, they will come up with an ordinance that will control it – not ban it – but control where it goes,” Florian said. “What we don’t want to do is wake up one day and find that all of our ag land is now sitting in a solar array, and it’s all taken out of production, and what everybody used to come here for for ecotourism no longer exists.”
Florian told us problems caused by large wind or solar projects could include the loss of agricultural land or having to dispose of retired solar panels. For example, he noted some of the older ones contained PFAS. He said the township is in favor of all things green, but should properly prepare for these large developments. Following the first reading Tuesday, a second reading will have to be held at the township board next meeting.
