OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- Some residents in rural Ottawa County want to derail a large commercial solar farm planned for acreage spanning two townships.

The project, as initially proposed, could cover up to 1,100 acres on land south of I-196 near the Ottawa Executive Airport on Byron Road.

Zeeland Township planners in recent months have been crafting a solar energy ordinance in anticipation of a permit application from RWE, the multinational energy company based in Essen, Germany behind the proposal.

RWE has a web site explaining the Ottawa County project, dubbed “Silver Maple Solar.”

The “state of the art” solar farm would create enough electricity to power more than 34,000 homes and generate more than $30 million in property taxes over the project’s lifespan.

Here are five things to kn

See Full Page