In Michigan, destroy forests to build solar?
In news from nearby Michigan, it’s now in vogue to clear-cut state forests to build unreliable and expensive solar facilities in the far north. The backlash to this story is still developing but consider it a win for common sense that lawmakers and the public are questioning this siting decision.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is considering leasing 420 acres of state land to a solar developer near Gaylord, Michigan. The land abuts private property already slated for a 1,000-acre solar development by RWE Clean Energy. The company is already backing off the proposal.
Jason Hayes of the Mackinac Public Policy Center wrote an excellent article on Substack about the issue, and several great interviews. Here’s a snippet:
Media is reporting today that, amidst a growing backlash against the plan to log 420 acres of state forest to make room for a massive industrial solar plant, the company that initially petitioned a Michigan state agency for permission to build the plant is backing away…
Given the horrible PR value of clear-cutting state forests to build an unreliable and expensive energy source that far north, it’s not surprising a company would back away.
Additionally, given the findings of studies like Ferroni et al’s “Further considerations to: Energy Return on Energy Invested (ERoEI) for photovoltaic solar systems in regions of moderate insolation,” it’s clear that the overly generous federal subsidies and state-level mandates are the real drivers of solar developments in northern states and provinces.
Michigan, like Minnesota, passed in 2024 legislation requiring utilities to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2040. Bridge Michigan reports that “To meet that mandate, Michigan may need to devote another 209,000 acres to wind and solar energy.”
Environmental degradation is a predictable consequence of encouraging intermittent, unreliable, and diffuse energy sources like wind and solar. Wind and solar generators require at least 10 times as much land per unit of power produced than coal or natural gas plants, according to the Brookings Institution. Trees act as “carbon sinks,” as they take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen, so “logging them to install solar panels can sometimes cancel out the climate gains.”
The public comment period on the project has opened. Bridge Michigan reports
Borton, the Gaylord-area lawmaker, said he supports the timber industry and has no problems with the oil and gas drill rigs that dot state land near his home. But he objects to solar farms on state land because he views them as more destructive to habitat and public access.
“This is going to permanently, for many, many years, destroy that property’s ability to be enjoyed by sportsmen, by wildlife,” he said.
After the DNR’s public notice goes out Tuesday, residents will have 15 days to respond. If at least five county residents request a public meeting, the DNR must hold one before it can issue a request for proposals to lease the property.
I have a feeling that county residents will be asking for a public meeting.