EDITOR:

For those interested in the future of solar power development in Delta County, the Delta County Planning Commission (DPC) has completed its draft solar ordinance. It is available for public review – you can find the draft solar ordinance on the deltacountymi.org website and click on the Government tab, then click on “Solar Ordinance Information” located under “County Links/Directory.” (https://deltacountymi.gov/solar-ordinance-information/). If you don’t have internet access, you can pick up a copy of the draft ordinance and map at the Building and Zoning Dept. (Room 247) located in the Delta County Courthouse (310 Ludington Street).

The DPC is interested in your comments on the draft solar ordinance. On Monday, October 4th there will be a public hearing to collect comments on the draft solar ordinance. That meeting will be held at the Delta Service Center at 5:30 PM (2920 College Avenue – use the College Avenue entrance by the Public Health sign). If you don’t want to attend in person, the meeting will also be available via Zoom – the Zoom link is available on the County calendar (https://deltacountymi.gov/county-meeting-calendar/). You can also provide written comments to Building and Zoning prior to the October 4th hearing.

The draft solar ordinance addresses solar installations in the county from small scale (eg. home installations) to industrial/Utility Scale (> 10 acres). Perhaps of greatest interest to many county residents, the draft solar ordinance only permits industrial solar developments within 1.5 mile on either side of American Transmission Company (ATC) transmission lines (a 3 mile wide swath). Exceptions may be granted to brownfield sites and capped landfills. The map that accompanies the draft ordinance shows the locations of ATC transmission lines as well as those lands upon which industrial solar farms could be developed. The 1.5 mile distance from ATC lines was based on consultations with solar developers from energy companies. The ordinance also addresses other issues that have been raised locally including noise, visual impacts to adjoining landowners, wildlife effects, screening and groundwater to name only a few.

If you are interested in the future of solar development in Delta County, please take the time to read the draft ordinance and map and provide your comments to the DPC. After the October 4th hearing, the DPC will incorporate the feedback it receives, finalize the solar ordinance and then pass it on to the full Delta County Board of Commissioners for approval/adoption.

My thanks to Planning Commission Chair Christine Williams and the rest of the DPC for their thorough work and diligence in developing this ordinance. The commission began work on the solar ordinance in April and has spent six months researching solar development, attending trainings, reviewing other Michigan solar ordinances and collecting input from local residents as well as solar developers from energy companies. It has been a collaborative effort that will not only provide direction to energy companies interested in establishing industrial solar in Delta County, but will also outline the terms under which solar farms can be built to protect the interests of county residents.

Anne Okonek

Cornell