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Planning for Solar Energy
Sarah Mills, PhD
Milan TownshipJune 2, 2020
• PhD in rural land use planning – Investigate claims of wind as farmland preservation
tool – Surveys of 4,000+ Michiganders near windfarms
• Research on renewable energy policy, public opinion
• Funding from State Energy Office in EGLE– Facilitate planning & zoning– Provide state-based data– Present pros and cons
My Background, Perspective
• Solar in Michigan?
• Pros and cons of solar
• What you might be missing/want to think about
Overview
SOLAR IN MICHIGAN?
https://www.nrel.gov/gis/assets/images/solar‐annual‐ghi‐2018‐usa‐scale‐01.jpg
Existing Utility-scale Solar99MW
• Source: U.S. Energy Mapping System, https://www.eia.gov/state/maps.php, 5/30/2020
(Large) Solar being considered 51 projects, 6,400 MW
• Source: MISO Queue, 5/30/2020• https://api.misoenergy.org/PublicGiQueueMap/index.html
+ 3,000 MW of small projects
Why so much activity?
Demand from utilities, cities, corporations
Cost reductions, improved efficiencies, & utility policies making renewables possible statewide
Source: https://www.lazard.com/perspective/lcoe2019
PROS & CONS OF SOLAR ENERGY
1MW = 5-7 acres Avg. project in MISO queue = 600-800 acres
Photo: https://inovateus.com/portfolio‐items/lapeer‐michigan‐solar/
Shiawassee County Solar
• 239MW, 1,200 acres (8 landowners)
• $1-1.2M in annual land lease payments (~$833/acre/yr)
• $20-25M in tax payments (total)
• ~250 construction jobs• 4-6 long-term jobs
http://sedpweb.org/assembly‐solar‐the‐250‐million‐solar‐farm‐development‐in‐hazelton‐and‐venice‐townships‐in‐shiawassee‐county‐moving‐forward‐and‐workers‐are‐needed‐to‐begin‐the‐project/
https://www.argus‐press.com/business/article_4d77a10c‐8bb0‐5713‐8820‐c143d4c96ef9.html
Solar Energy
Local Benefits• Landowner payments• Tax payments
– Some assessor confusion here
• Water quality (?), pollinator potential
• Jobs – Mostly construction
Local Concerns• Visual Impacts
– “Not why I moved here”
• Wildlife• Impact on farmland or
farm economy
For more:https://www.betterenergy.org/wp‐content/uploads/2018/03/MinnesotaToolkitFeb2018_Award‐Banner_Web‐Version_0.pdf
Renewable energy…
“creates opportunities for farmers and landowners to earn new income
but also poses threats to farmland and local food systems.”
https://farmland.org/project/farms‐under‐threat/
What are you trying to preserve?
• Urban boundary• Rural vista• Farm livelihoods
– Farmer with lease vs. land rent for neighbors– Tax revenues vs. ag supply chain impacts
• Land for growing food– Short vs. long-term?– Are you moving, compacting soil?
• Can put agreement on “pause” if…– Maintain existing drainage / field tile– Plant cover crop including pollinator habitat– End-of-life remediation
+ Surety bond/letter of credit
Aim to protect long-term farmability of land; provide farmers with new income stream
PA 116 MI Farmland Preservation Policy as of June 2019
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdard/Commercial_Solar_Facilities_on_PA_116_Enrolled_Lands_656804_7.pdf
• Be consistent– What else do you allow in ag district?– Golf course? Airstrip? Junkyard?
• Consider how ordinance impacts future ability to farm– Moving topsoil? Disrupting tile?– Planting trees to screen?
My advice to communities on solar and ag
MY READING OF PROPOSED ORDINANCE (SHERIDAN)
What it does/doesn’t include
• Suggests large-scale solar is compatible land use in township
• Generally suggests solar is temporary land use
Overall
• Height, lot size, lot coverage (exemption) permissive
• Setbacks very doable– Unsure if fence is allowed in setback?
• Non-exorbitant escrow for Conditional Use Review
• Some inconsistency on screening– Ag always exemption from Greenbelt buffer
• Maybe contemplating allowing solar in other districts?– Buffer in 16.01 is for adjacent district, not use– Number of trees/shrubs seems higher
Elements suggesting compatible use
• Minimal screening and no berming
• Minimizing driveways– Perhaps add internal roads?
• Decommissioning + bond– Excellent that you require pre-/post soil tests and
reclamation (not all do)– Excellent that you say who determines bond
amount– Revisiting value?
• Interest in maintaining field tile?– This won’t trigger stormwater management, right?
Elements suggesting temporary use (return to farming)
• Care what is planted (if not on PA 116)?– Cover crop including pollinator habitat
https://www.canr.msu.edu/pollinators_and_pollination/uploads/files/MSU_Solar_Pollinators_Scorecard_2018.pdf
• Planning, weed control, wildflower mix• Noxious weed ordinance in township?
• Enforcement:– Minnesota: “The applicant shall submit a
financial guarantee in the form of a letter of credit, cash deposit or bond in favor of the Township equal to one hundred twenty-five (125) percent of the costs to meet the beneficial habitat standard. The financial guarantee shall remain in effect until vegetation is sufficiently established.”
Other things to considerGround cover?
• Which districts?
• Definition of large solar– Also want something for ground-mounted on-site
use solar?– Medium scale ground-mounted?
• Fencing– NESC (utilities); NEC (non-utilities)– Want 7’ fence instead of 6’ + barbed wire?– Is this within 50’ setback or not? [NEC requires
space between fence and solar components, so adds more space]
Other things to consider
