Ottawa County votes 10-1 to join the state review of the Silver Maple Solar project near Zeeland, with $50,000 from the developer paying its lawyers

HOLLAND, Mich. — Ottawa County will take a formal role in the state’s review of the Silver Maple Solar project east of Zeeland. County commissioners voted 10-1 on Tuesday, Oct. 27, to petition the Michigan Public Service Commission for intervenor status in the case, The Hollander reported.

The vote was the one previewed in The Mitten Daily’s Oct. 21 story on the project. Commissioner Doug Zylstra cast the only no vote.

What the board approved. Three motions passed. The first authorizes County Administrator Patrick Waterman to file the petition by the Nov. 12 deadline. The second has him coordinate the county’s position and hire specialized outside lawyers; an amendment from Commissioner Sylvia Rhodea keeps the county’s actual position under the board’s control and bars any host community agreement or settlement without the board’s express approval. The third lets the county spend the $50,000 that developer RWE Americas sent it under state law to cover the cost.

The project. RWE’s Silver Maple PV LLC wants a state siting certificate for a 200-megawatt solar facility on about 1,914 acres in Jamestown and Zeeland townships, about 4.3 miles east of Zeeland, according to the commission’s hearing notice cited by The Hollander. About 1,127 acres would be fenced. RWE says the array would power about 34,000 homes and pay more than $30 million in property taxes over its life.

Why the county is stepping in. Under Public Act 233 of 2023, developers of large wind, solar and storage projects can go to the three-member state commission instead of local zoning boards. Several commissioners aimed their frustration at Lansing. “Three people are going to dictate what happens in Ottawa County,” Commissioner John Teeples said, calling the law “shameful.” Commissioner Jordan Jorritsma said the project is “going to affect our roadways, our waterways,” and Commissioner Jim Barry cited drainage concerns raised by the county’s water resources commissioner.

Zylstra saw it differently, describing the issue as landowners and farmers exercising their private property rights. “I think that restraint — there’s also virtue,” he said. Chair Josh Brugger said intervening is not the same as opposing solar, but “we all ought to agree on giving Ottawa County … a voice.”

Who pays. The $50,000 comes from a PA 233 provision that requires developers to fund local governments taking part in state reviews, capped at $75,000 per local unit. RWE sent the same amount to Zeeland and Jamestown townships. Costs above $50,000 would need the board’s approval.

What comes next. After the Nov. 12 filing, a prehearing conference is set for Nov. 19, written testimony is likely due in mid-January, and a roughly three-day hearing before an administrative law judge would follow in late January, county attorney Doug Van Essen said. Separately, the Smallegan family, which lost a court fight with RWE over leases on about 563 acres of the site, has until Oct. 29 to appeal. The board’s next regular meeting is 6:30 p.m. Nov. 17.

Sources:
The Hollander, “Ottawa County votes 10-1 to join state review of Silver Maple Solar,” Oct. 27, 2026 (vote, motions, amendment, commissioner quotes, project details from MPSC Case No. U-22071 notice, PA 233 funding, timeline, Smallegan appeal deadline), https://www.hollander.news/article/ottawa-county-votes-to-join-silver-maple-solar-case
WHTC, “UPDATE: Ottawa Co. Board Agrees to Involvement in Silver Maple Solar Farm Dispute,” Oct. 27, 2026, https://whtc.com/2026/10/27/ottawa-co-board-to-discuss-involvement-in-silver-maple-solar-farm-dispute/
Photo: David Kosling, U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Photovoltaic Panels Reap Solar Energy on Farms (20240809-USDA-RD-DCK-0324).jpg,” Aug. 9, 2024, Wikimedia Commons, public domain, cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Photovoltaic_Panels_Reap_Solar_Energy_on_Farms_(20240809-USDA-RD-DCK-0324).jpg

Holland

Tags: Holland · Ottawa County · Silver Maple Solar · Zeeland Township · Jamestown Township · Solar · Farmland · MPSC