Solar, Wind & Battery Opposition: Michigan Lawsuits, North Dakota Backlash — Sep 11, 2026

Solar Siting Battles

In Ottawa County, Michigan, a single solar project has become the epicenter of one of the most intense community opposition fights in the Midwest this year — and this week it escalated on multiple fronts simultaneously. RWE's proposed Silver Maple Solar project, a $300 million, 200-megawatt facility that would span 1,900 acres across Jamestown and Zeeland townships, is now facing two active lawsuits, a packed public meeting where more than two-thirds of attendees voiced opposition, and the unusual step of the developer refiling its application even as legal challenges proceed.

Around 100 neighbors gathered Thursday at a public meeting in Zeeland Township to hear RWE's presentation on the project, and the session quickly turned contentious. Residents like Christi Meppelink were among those who showed up at what RWE described as an informational meeting, but the tone was overwhelmingly critical, according to local reporting. Multiple neighbors challenged the project's footprint, its proximity to homes, and its impact on the agricultural character of the area.

Separately, Zeeland Township has filed a lawsuit against the project, marking a significant escalation in which local government itself has joined the opposition. Despite those two pending lawsuits and a currently paused application, RWE announced it plans to resubmit its application to Michigan regulators, telling local media the new public hearings were for "outreach with local stakeholders." The move has frustrated opponents who view it as an attempt to circumvent their legal challenges.

The legal battles over solar siting are not confined to Michigan. In Illinois, lawsuits in Will, Grundy, and Winnebago counties are testing the legal boundaries of local authority over solar farm approvals. As reporting from the region noted, solar farm law "may not be as simple as it seemed" after the Will County Board was forced under a court order to approve six solar farm projects just months ago. County boards and residents across the three counties are now contesting solar approvals through the courts, and the outcomes could set significant precedents for how Illinois municipalities regulate renewable energy development.

In neighboring Wisconsin, a proposed Alliant Energy solar farm in Winnebago County is drawing organized pushback from both residents and state lawmakers, signaling that opposition to utility-scale solar has reached the statehouse level in yet another Midwestern state.

Further south, two very different solar fights are playing out. In Georgia, solar farm projects are facing local backlash driven in part by the surge in data center construction, which is accelerating demand for new solar capacity and, in turn, placing more pressure on rural communities to host generation facilities. Residents are raising concerns about how the data center boom is reshaping their landscapes without adequate community input.

And in Betterton, Maryland, the tiny Chesapeake Bay town is continuing its fight against a proposed 5-megawatt community solar facility from developer Halo LLC. The case this week featured historic-preservation testimony, with local officials arguing the solar installation would compromise the character of a town with deep historical roots. It is a reminder that community solar projects — typically smaller and pitched as locally beneficial — are not immune from siting opposition.

Wind Energy Pushback

In North Dakota, a state that has reaped substantial economic benefits from wind energy, public sentiment appears to be shifting. Despite the fact that turbines generate significant tax revenue and lease payments for farmers, reporting this week explored how political winds in the state have shifted against the industry. The story highlights a growing tension between the measurable economic benefits wind power delivers to rural communities and a cultural backlash driven by aesthetic concerns, property value fears, and broader political polarization around clean energy.

In western New York, residents in Allegany, Olean, and Portville attended a community meeting about the proposed Hemlock Hollow Wind Farm from developer Liberty Renewables. The meeting at Franchot Park reflected the kind of early-stage community engagement that often signals whether a project will face organized resistance or proceed with local buy-in. Details on the project's capacity and specific resident concerns were still emerging at week's end.

Battery Storage Concerns

In Chino, California, the city council is set to take up a large battery energy storage project that was already rejected by the Planning Commission due to community concerns about fire risks. The developer insists the project is safe, but critics have pointed to high-profile battery storage fires elsewhere as evidence that the technology poses unacceptable dangers in residential-adjacent areas. The council's decision to revisit a project its own planning body rejected underscores the political complexity of battery storage siting.

Elsewhere in California, the California Energy Commission is weighing the fate of a much larger proposed 300-MW battery storage project that is being contested by local officials and residents. Community opposition is a central issue in the regulatory proceedings, making it one of the largest battery projects in the country to face significant local resistance at the state permitting level.

Data Center Disputes

In Grant County, New Mexico, the county commission is considering a moratorium on data center development following a work session that drew strong public comment. Residents voiced concerns about the infrastructure's impact on water resources, electricity demand, and community character — issues that have increasingly accompanied data center proposals in arid Western communities. The moratorium, if enacted, would temporarily halt new data center development while the county evaluates its regulatory framework.

What to Watch

Chino, California city council vote: The Chino City Council will consider overriding its Planning Commission's rejection of a large battery energy storage project. The decision could signal how California municipalities handle the tension between state clean energy mandates and local fire safety concerns. (Chino Champion)
RWE's Silver Maple Solar refiling in Michigan: RWE's resubmission of its application to the Michigan Public Service Commission, despite two active lawsuits, will test whether state regulators can advance a project that faces both legal challenges and vocal township-level opposition. New public hearings are expected. (Holland Sentinel)
Grant County, New Mexico data center moratorium vote: Commissioners are expected to take up the proposed moratorium on data center development following public outcry at this week's work session. A vote in favor would add Grant County to a growing list of communities pumping the brakes on data center expansion. (Silver City Daily Press)

Trend Lines

This week's stories reveal a pattern of opposition that is increasingly legalistic and multi-front. The Silver Maple Solar fight in Michigan — with its combination of lawsuits, township government opposition, packed public meetings, and a developer pressing forward through regulatory channels — exemplifies a new phase in siting disputes where communities are deploying every available tool simultaneously. The Illinois courtroom battles across three counties suggest these legal questions are far from settled and could reshape how much authority local governments retain over energy project approvals. Meanwhile, the connection between data center growth and solar opposition in Georgia, and the separate data center moratorium push in New Mexico, point to an emerging feedback loop: as AI and cloud computing drive demand for new power generation, the infrastructure needed to serve that demand is generating its own wave of community resistance.