FAYETTE TOWNSHIP, MI (WTVB) – In Hillsdale County the Fayette Township Planning Commission voted Monday night to deny a special use permit for the highly contentious Heartwood II Solar project.
Developed by Chicago-based Ranger Power, the proposal aimed to construct a 140-megawatt, utility-scale solar installation spanning roughly 1,350 acres of agricultural land on the township’s east side.
The decisive vote follows months of fierce pushback from local property owners, regional politicians, and Hillsdale College, who packed community meetings at the Jonesville High School Cafetorium to voice grave concerns over environmental hazards, water contamination risks, and the erosion of the area’s historic rural aesthetic.
The rejection was heavily influenced by a newly enacted Compatible Renewable Energy Ordinance (CREO), which local officials adopted in April to establish rigid local zoning guidelines regarding solar setbacks and property line limitations.
Though zoning consultants from Carlisle Wortman and Associates formally recommended a total denial due to deficient wetland protection and land misuse, the developer may not be entirely out of options.
Under Michigan’s Public Act 233, Ranger Power retains the right to bypass the municipal block entirely by filing an appeal with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), which holds the overriding authority to greenlight large-scale green energy developments that align with state mandates.
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