QUINCY, MI (WTVB) – Quincy Township officials have formally initiated the process of drafting a strict “battery energy storage control ordinance” to maintain local authority over a proposed 180-megawatt facility by EDF Renewables.
By hiring the specialized law firm Foster Swift Collins & Smith, the township aims to create rigorous standards that protect the community while navigating Michigan’s Public Act 233 of 2023, which allows the state to override local zoning for large-scale renewable projects. Township Supervisor Kurt Barve stated the move is aimed at doing “everything possible” for residents who have opposed the 45-acre Santina Energy project, proposed for Boone Road, for several months.
The proposed project, which features 20 to 25 acres of fenced battery containers, has prompted significant local concern over potential fire hazards, groundwater contamination, and the loss of agricultural land. While developers expect the facility to be operational by 2030 and prefer local collaboration, the Quincy Joint Planning Commission is moving quickly to enact the new zoning ordinance.
Legal counsel warned that failure to establish these local rules swiftly could result in the state bypassing township control entirely.
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