Kohakta Township supervisor urges Livingston County to study health and local regulations for large solar projects

Mark Fosdick, supervisor of Kohakta Township, told the Livingston County Board of Commissioners on May 12 that Ranger Power has applied to develop a large solar project in Kohakta and Conway townships and that the company has not complied with the townships’ escrow-fee policy.

"The application is not complete, and we're we're reviewing that application right now, but Ranger Power has failed to even submit, or comply with our escrow fee policy," Fosdick said during the public-comment period.

Fosdick said Public Act 233 of 2023 preempts some local control over renewable-energy projects and urged the county to consider adopting health-and-safety regulations modeled on a policy adopted in St. Clair County to address sound, visual impacts and decommissioning. "I would urge the Livingston County to strongly consider adopting such a regulation for Livingston County to do what we can't do for our residents and protecting their health, safety, and welfare," he said.

Commissioner Hauserman reported attending a township meeting where residents discussed the same St. Clair County resolution and said attendees had raised concerns about subsidy levels for different energy sources. He described receiving information at that meeting and suggested the county should review it.

Commissioner Nakagiri said the county’s Health Advisory Committee has scheduled a discussion on the public-health aspects of large solar projects and that he had forwarded St. Clair County materials to the committee chair. "That is on the agenda, and we'll see where it goes from there," Nakagiri said.

No county action on regulatory change or development approvals occurred during the meeting; the board logged the public comment and referred the public-health concerns to the Health Advisory Committee for consideration.