Michigan Energy Facts
For township officials

Authority, zoning & PA 233 — what your township still controls

Township boards, planning commissions, and zoning officials are on the front line of Michigan's energy debate. This section is built for fact-finding, not politics: what PA 233 changed, what authority remains local, and what other townships are actually doing in their ordinances.

Most-asked questions in this section
  • What does PA 233 actually take away — and what stays local?
  • What does a 'compatible' renewable ordinance look like?
  • What setbacks, sound limits, and decommissioning rules are reasonable?
  • How are other Michigan townships handling siting requests?

Start here

PA 233, plain English
What changed in 2023, what local control remains, and how the MPSC siting process works.
Read the breakdown
Ordinance considerations
Model setback, sound, decommissioning, and process language you can adapt locally.
Open ordinance guide

Go deeper

Project map
Existing, approved, and proposed projects by county.
Open
Law & policy hub
Full reference for state law, MPSC rules, and local authority.
Open
Lease & contract terms
Understand what your residents are being offered.
Open
Stay informed

Get notified when this section is updated

We'll email when new Michigan data, ordinance language, or law changes affect this audience. Property rights & local control, in plain English.

Stories

Voices from Michigan

Real perspectives from farmers, township leaders, and residents navigating wind, solar, and storage in their communities.

“What we needed wasn't another opinion — it was a clear breakdown of what PA 233 actually says and what local control we still have. That's hard to find.”
Karen B.
Township supervisor
Huron County
Illustrative example
“The ordinance guide saved our planning commission a month of arguments. We pulled language straight from it as a starting point.”
Greg P.
Planning commissioner
Hillsdale County
Illustrative example

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