The Michigan Model for Siting Renewable Energy: Policy, Implementation, and Impacts April 17 AT 8:30 AM

The Michigan Model for Siting Renewable Energy: Policy, Implementation, and Impacts will examine how renewable energy siting policy moves from concept to practice, using Michigan’s experience as a case study with national relevance. The event will be emceed by Sarah Mills, director of the University of Michigan’s Center for EmPowering Communities and associate professor of practice at U-M’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

The symposium will open with a national perspective on renewable energy siting, exploring why siting has become a central challenge in the clean energy transition and how state and local policies are shaping what gets built across the country. This session will situate Michigan’s experience within broader political, regulatory, and community dynamics influencing renewable energy deployment nationwide.

The focus will then shift to Michigan, with a detailed examination of the state’s siting framework, established in 2023 by PA 233, and a review of its early performance in practice. This portion of the program will examine the roles of the Michigan Public Service Commission, locally adopted ordinances, and the compatible renewable energy ordinance (CREO) option, as well as how state-level processes intersect with local decision-making and on-the-ground implementation.

The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion featuring leaders with varied viewpoints who influenced the creation or implementation of PA 233. Panelists will reflect on how the framework was envisioned, how it is operating today, and what early experience reveals about successes, challenges, and opportunities for refinement. Together, the program is designed to inform discussion and support a clearer understanding of what effective renewable energy siting looks like in practice.