Ingersoll planners deny Poseyville solar park permit over noise and site configuration issues

After more than five hours of impassioned public comment and expert testimony that stretched past 1 a.m., the Ingersoll Township Planning Commission voted overwhelmingly Monday night to deny DTE Energy a special use permit for its proposed Poseyville Solar Park, a large-scale, industrial solar energy facility.

In a 6-1 vote shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday, April 21, commissioners ruled that the project failed to meet standards outlined in the township’s zoning ordinance.

The meeting, relocated to Messiah Church to handle the crowd, drew hundreds of residents concerned about the project’s impact on the rural character of the agricultural community near Freeland and Hemlock in Midland County. During the five hour long public comment period, residents voiced concerns over declining property values, loss of farmland, stormwater runoff and the division the project had already caused in the tight-knit community.

Sheriff’s deputies were also present amid heightened tensions, with township Supervisor Kim Heisler noting the controversy had really strained neighborly relations.

According to meeting documents, the 173-megawatt solar facility proposal requested special use permits across roughly 800 acres spanning multiple township sections, with solar panels weaving through 17 different properties.

That proposed layout, however, was deemed problematic. Commissioners determined that the diagonal positioning of the panels across various parcels failed to satisfy the compatibility and continuity requirements for a special use permit under the township’s agricultural zoning district ordinances.

Commissioners, including Vice Chair Art Noey, also determined that sound from the solar arrays’ inverters and cooling systems would exceed ambient levels, violating a township standard that prohibits any increase in noise from such uses.

“Our ordinance is very clear that there is to be no increase in sound,” Noey said. “It seems clear to me that this violates our ordinance because it does generate more sound.”

While DTE’s sound expert presented data from tests conducted in June 2025, all but one of the commissioners found it insufficient.

Planning Commission Chair Suzette Loeffler, casting the sole dissenting vote, said she sided with the township’s professional planning consultant who believed the application complied with requirements.

DTE Energy expressed disappointment in a statement Tuesday but said it remains committed to the project and is evaluating next steps. Options include filing a lawsuit against the township or invoking Michigan Public Act 233, a law signed by Gov. Whitmer in 2023 that allows developers of qualifying renewable energy projects to bypass local zoning decisions by going through the governor-appointed Michigan Public Service Commission.

Heisler, acknowledging DTE’s vast resources, told reporters that he would like to avoid litigation.

“My personal feeling is, I hope we don’t get sued because DTE could do that. Well, they are a lot bigger than Ingersoll Township,” Heisler told ABC News. Adding that the controversy has ripped the community apart, Heisler emphasized that he hopes people can get back to getting along.

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