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Public commenter delivers five ordinance proposals to limit developer offsets, require bonds and protect community from emerging‑technology risks
Summary
Everett Davis of The Greens handed council four targeted ordinance proposals plus a 65‑page precautionary emerging‑technology ordinance aiming to bar use of financial instruments as substitutes for on‑site renewable generation, require cost recovery and bonds for decommissioning, and set cooling‑water and environmental safeguards for large industrial facilities.
Everett Davis (The Greens) told council he had previously identified what he called ‘‘loopholes’’ in the draft large‑scale industrial ordinance and urged changes. He said credits and accounting mechanisms (renewable energy certificates, offsets and virtual power purchase agreements) should not substitute for actual on‑site renewable energy generation and that the draft must be corrected so generators cannot run at 100% and simply offset via credits.
Davis presented four ordinance concepts — renewable energy generation and direct power supply requirements; public benefit and cost‑recovery requirements for large‑scale commercial/industrial development; financial assurance (bonds) for environmental remediation and decommissioning; and cooling‑water management and wastewater protections — plus a 65‑page precautionary 'emerging technology protection ordinance' intended to establish neutral, science‑based review standards for qualifying developments.
"Renewable energy credits, carbon offsets, virtual power purchase agreements, renewable energy certificates, and similar mechanisms do not physically reduce local electrical demand or emissions and therefore shall not satisfy the requirements," Davis said, urging the council to incorporate these principles into the township code. He offered to email Word versions of his drafts for staff and clerk review.
Council staff accepted the materials and said they would be added to the record for ordinance committee consideration. Davis asked that the council treat the materials as actionable drafts and not simply conceptual input.
