Lima Township Continues to Mull Over a Commercial Solar Ordinance

In considering a commercial solar ordinance, it appears Lima Township has some specifics in mind before anything becomes official.

At their last meeting, the Lima Township Board had before them a recommendation from the planning commission to approve the language of the “Solar Energy Collection Systems, Large” Ordinance. However that didn’t happen.

After reviewing the language, having discussion and raising questions, the board sent the language back to the planning commission in order to address some specifics the board is hoping to see in the ordinance language.

Lima originally began considering this ordinance after a planning memo noted the state Act, PA 233, allows for the regulation and permitting of energy facilities above a certain nameplate capacity through the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) “unless a local municipality adopts a Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance (CREO) as defined by the Act.”

There are three specific acronyms to understand in the township board’s request of the planning commission. They are:

Energy Storage System (ESS): A system that absorbs, stores, and discharges electricity. Energy storage facility does not include fossil fuel storage or power-to-gas storage that directly uses fossil fuel inputs.

Solar Energy System (SES): A system that captures and converts solar energy into electricity, for the purpose of sale or for use in locations other than solely the solar energy system property.

Wind Energy System (WES): A system that captures and converts wind into electricity, for the purpose of sale or for use in locations other than solely the wind energy system property.

At their Aug. 11 meeting, the township board, by a unanimous vote, decided to send the Solar Energy Collections Systems, Large Ordinance back to Planning Commission with the recommendation to consider making SES, WES, and ESS as special use as opposed to permitted use and to consider restricting the location to specific zoning districts.

So the language is back in the hands of the planning commission where it will consider the board’s requests and potentially adjust the language. It’s a stay tuned issue now.