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 Nelson Falkenburg from Clean Tomorrow providing 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 Dan Scripps, chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), taking us back to the Fall of 2023, describing the origins of the Michigan model in Public Act 233 of 2023 (PA 233). He will talk about what prompted the move to reform the state’s siting laws, and what priorities shaped the law that emerged.

Madeleine Krol from UM’s Center for EmPowering Communities will then outline in detail the mechanics of the Michigan model, describing the three primary permitting pathways for large-scale projects in the state. She will also discuss how the Renewables Ready Communities Award, which provides a financial incentive to local governments that permit projects locally, is an integral part of the Michigan model.

The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion featuring Sarah Mullkoff (Michigan Public Service Commission), Laura Sherman (Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council), and Catherine Kaufman (Bauckham, Thall, Seeber, Kaufman & Koches PC), leaders from varied viewpoints who were each influential in shaping the implementation of PA 233. Moderator Liesl Clark from UM’s School for Environment and Sustainability will ask the panel to reflect on how their expectations in the lead-up to the passage of PA 233 compare with their on-the-ground experiences in its implementation. Panelists will also consider lessons learned to date and what Michigan’s experience suggests for future renewable energy siting efforts.

Together, the program is designed to inform discussion and support a clearer understanding of what effective renewable energy siting looks like in practice.

This event is presented by Taubman College Urban and Regional Planning, the Center for EmPowering Communities, and Taubman College Climate Futures.