A proposed battery storage site in western Michigan has become a flashpoint, with one family farm warning that noise from inverters could hurt pollinators and help drive a recall campaign against local officials.

The dispute reflects a broader challenge for the Wolverine State as it moves quickly to expand clean energy while deciding where to site dozens of large battery projects.

According to a report from Michigan Public, that tension is now playing out in Oshtemo Township near Kalamazoo, where Katie and Ken Schneider of Little Pistol Farms say they were surprised by plans for a battery project next to their 29-acre produce and pumpkin farm. After learning that a neighboring landowner had leased property to developer NewEdge Renewable Power, they began organizing opposition.

In 2023, Michigan became the Midwest's first state to adopt a battery storage goal, calling for 2,500 megawatts by 2029 under Public Act 233. The law is meant to help the grid handle more wind and solar power by storing electricity for later use, but it also limits how much local governments can block projects outright.

The Schneiders say they are worried about fire risks, fencing that could disrupt wildlife, and a constant hum from battery equipment. Ken Schneider said that is especially troubling for their farm because pumpkins depend on pollination.

"Without bees, our farm goes bankrupt," he said.

The backlash has since expanded into a broader fight over local transparency, with a recall effort now targeting several township officials.

Battery storage is a key part of the clean energy buildout because it can help make renewable power more reliable. 

Michigan is moving fast. More than 60 battery projects are in the pipeline statewide, while just one utility-scale site is operating: the 100-megawatt Tibbits Energy Storage facility in Coldwater Township.

That pace is creating uncertainty for communities still learning how to regulate a relatively new technology. Madeleine Krol, a clean energy land use specialist at the University of Michigan's Center for Empowering Communities, said local officials are weighing issues including setbacks, noise, fire safety, and decommissioning plans.

Krol said the concerns in Oshtemo are real, but so is the need for storage as Michigan's energy mix changes. Newer battery systems have also become safer and more efficient in recent years.

It's also worth noting that clean energy technologies can offer important benefits for local ecosystems compared to fossil fuel infrastructure. Research has found that solar farms planted with native vegetation can support biodiversity, helping create habitat for pollinators such as bees and butterflies while also attracting birds and other wildlife. In some cases, these projects can even help restore degraded land, demonstrating that renewable energy development and conservation efforts can work hand in hand.

Battery developers in Michigan have not yet gone directly to state regulators under Public Act 233 when local talks break down. Instead, they have largely tried to work through local zoning and community agreements.

Coldwater Township is now being held up as an example of that approach. As Michigan's first host community for a utility-scale battery site, it gets visits from other local officials seeking guidance. Township Supervisor Don Rogers said such projects can bring stable, long-term revenue for townships, schools, and counties, in addition to state payments and negotiated community benefits.

Rogers argues that working with developers can give communities more leverage than shutting them out and ending up under a more generic state-approved framework.

In Oshtemo, meanwhile, officials have put renewable development on hold while they draft a local ordinance.

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