(The Center Square) – Local officials in Michigan could soon have a say in large-scale renewable energy projects planned for their communities.
A series of bills passed the House Energy Committee on Tuesday and are headed to the full chamber for a vote. The bills would restore local control of projects rather than giving the Michigan Public Service Commission the power to make the decisions.
“There is no one better suited to make decisions for a community than the people elected from within that same community,” House Speaker Pro Tem Rachele Smith, R-Martin, said in a statement. “Local control being stripped away was a perversion of the principles that make up local governments. Radical Democrats stripped a core function of local government and gifted it to a state board handcrafted by our left-wing governor. Republicans called foul then, and we’ve worked to reverse that abuse of legislative power ever since. The passage of these bills is a wonderful first step to restoring the local control that should’ve never been taken away in the first place.”
Martin also served as a township clerk for seven years.
The commission received total authority over the project in 2023 when the then Democratic-controlled House passed a series of energy bills that focused on green energy mandates throughout the states.
The bills easily passed the Democratic-controlled Senate and were signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, also a Democrat.
Republicans now control the Michigan House, but Democrats still control the Senate and the governor’s office.
The commission consists of three appointed members who serve six-year terms. Whitmer appointed each member of the current board.
Before the new green energy laws, developers needed local approval before any project could start.
The recently passed bills would reestablish local control of large renewable energy projects and remove decisions from the commission.
“When these oppressive laws first passed, I described the situation as ‘Democrats pressing their green boots into the throats of Northern Michigan.’ The committee passage of these bills is the first step toward prying that boot off,” Rep. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord, said in a statement. “Local control is the oxygen that feeds communities across the state. The ability to manage our elections, make taxing decisions, decide what’s best for our communities, and govern ourselves is the lifeblood that keeps us going. Democrats stripped a major portion of that away, and now we’re taking it back.”
