State Rep. Karl Bohnak on Friday announced his support for a legislative plan to re-empower local officials and residents with the authority to make zoning decisions for their communities.

House Bills 4027-28 restore local control to municipalities for energy project siting.

“When it comes to making decisions on behalf of U.P. communities, there is no question that I would rather trust someone who lives in the Upper Peninsula over a state bureaucrat who claims to be an expert,”said Bohnak, R-Deerton. “Township officials may not always agree with the public, but I know they wake up each morning in the U.P., shop at U.P. grocery stores, and pay U.P. taxes. They’re the ones who should make our zoning decisions, not Lansing.”

The plans come on the heels of measures that were advanced by the Democrat-controlled House during the 2023-24 legislative term and signed into law by the governor that stripped control away from local communities concerning solar and wind projects.

Under the law, the unelected Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) now has the power to override local decision-making authority on wind and solar siting. Over 200,000 acres of land are estimated to be needed for these developments to meet accelerated and impractical energy mandates by 2035. Michigan currently has about 17,000 acres occupied by wind and solar operations, and rural areas across the state are expected to bear the brunt of expanded siting.

“I was appalled when I heard that folks 400 miles away, who may have never even visited Upper Michigan would be making decisions that will have a lasting impact on our unique communities,” Bohnak said. “Restoring local control and reversing some of these dangerous energy policies are some of my chief reasons for serving in state government in the first place. I’m glad to offer my support to these bills and hope we can get them done as soon as possible.”

HBs 4027-28 have been referred to the House Energy Committee for consideration.

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