Clark Hill Secures Landmark Renewable Energy Siting Settlement for Vevay Township

Clark Hill EENR attorneys Zachary Larsen and Benjamin Holwerda secured a significant settlement on behalf of Vevay Township, Michigan, in the first renewable energy siting case resolved by settlement before the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) under Public Act 233 of 2023.

The new law shifted significant authority for siting large-scale renewable energy facilities—including solar, wind, and battery storage projects—from local governments to a state-level process before the MPSC. Clark Hill represented Vevay Township, one of three townships affected by Acceleration Solar’s proposed 90-megawatt solar facility, and negotiated an agreement that preserves meaningful local input over the project and establishes substantial protections and benefits for the affected communities.

The settlement establishes detailed requirements governing project construction, noise, vegetative screening, lighting, tree clearing, complaint resolution, and financial assurance for decommissioning. It also limits the project footprint and requires the removal of underground infrastructure and restoration of the property for agricultural use following the project’s useful life.

In addition, the agreement formalizes host community benefit payments of at least $2,000 per megawatt and provides other local commitments, including funding for township legal expenses, drain maintenance, and training for local fire and first-response personnel.

This result underscores Clark Hill’s ability to navigate emerging regulatory frameworks, balance complex and competing interests, and negotiate innovative solutions that preserve local interests in major energy infrastructure projects.