Appeals Court Issues Split Ruling in Michigan Solar Permitting Suit
Source: US News & World Report/AP
May 8, 2026, at 2:56 p.m.
A state appeals panel on Thursday upheld the bulk of Michigan’s regulations limiting local control over renewable energy projects, while rejecting narrow aspects that critics had decried as regulatory overreach.
The three-judge Michigan Court of Appeals panel ruled that state regulators followed proper legal processes when they set rules to carry out a controversial 2023 law that allows the Michigan Public Service Commission to approve large wind, solar and battery projects over local objections. But judges ruled the commission interpreted certain aspects of that law in ways that improperly limited local power.
It wasn’t immediately clear how the split ruling could affect the multiple renewable energy development proposals currently awaiting state approval. However, state officials seemed to see it as a victory. “While the Commission continues to review the impact of specific findings of the Court’s decision on cases before us, today’s decision largely affirms the Commission’s approach and allows for continued and timely implementation of the law,” said Matt Helms, a spokesperson for the Public Service Commission.
A lawyer for the dozens of local communities that had sued the state over its solar permitting rules called the ruling a “mixed bag.”. Attorney Michael Homier said he’s pleased with portions of the ruling that favored his clients, but “disappointed the court didn’t apply the same reasoning” to his clients’ other arguments.
Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/michigan/articles/2026-05-08/appeals-court-issues-split-ruling-in-michigan-solar-permitting-suit