ABOVE: Zoë Zeerip, Great Lakes Business Network Coordinator
The Groundwork Climate and Environment team recently attended the 2025 Michigan Climate Summit put on by our good friends and partners at Michigan Climate Action Network. We asked our folks to each share a takeaway. See their thoughts below!
ZOE ZEERIP, GREAT LAKES BUSINESS NETWORK COORDINATOR
As I listened to keynote speaker Dr. Kyle Whyte ground us in the impacts of climate change that native people have held for many years, we were reminded that systems thinking is at the core of their ability to observe, nurture, and survive in this world.
Dr. Whyte drew from his native language, Anishinaabemowin, to show how systems thinking has been embedded for thousands of years. In Anishinaabemowin, there is no single noun for wild rice. Instead, they use a combination of words to reflect its spiritual importance and the many ways their community interacts with it. As a verb and action based language, Anishinaabemowin combines multiple units into a single word. This stands in contrast to English, which is noun-focused and conveys relationships through separate, static terms.
As I reflect on my new understanding of the language, I understand more clearly how it embodies a deep relationship with the land and rich relationships among tribal members. The language goes beyond singular interactions, instead drawing upon connections, systems, and spirituality. This way of speaking offers a lens for understanding our place in the world and serves as a source of inspiration as we grapple with societal challenges that involve many intertwined layers and factors. For no noun exists entirely on its own.
NICHOLAS JANSEN, RURAL CLEAN ENERGY ORGANIZER
I left the summit feeling that we are just starting to tap into the potential of what a clean energy economy can look like and mean for Michiganders. We are just starting to implement agrivoltaics, or the co-location of solar and either crops or livestock, which can benefit the farmers, the land, wildlife, and our ground water. A new piece of community solar legislation is being proposed this fall that could help low-income residents and renters invest in and benefit from the clean energy economy. And there are so many brilliant people making sure we don’t repeat our past mistakes that left our BIPOC and low-income communities behind by showing that we are all better off when everyone is included. The road ahead is a really steep climb, but the Michigan we can build together is one worth fighting for.
Being among 600 people committed to a better future was powerful, and I left hopeful about the role of solar energy on farmland.
lyla hollis, clean energy specialist
LYLA HOLLIS, CLEAN ENERGY SPECIALIST
Leaving the 2025 MI Climate Summit, I felt energized by the incredible panelists and climate leaders featured in one shared space. Being among 600 people committed to a better future was powerful, and I left hopeful about the role of solar energy on farmland. As the Clean Energy Specialist with Groundwork, I’m eager to share that solar installations can complement—not take away from—agriculture. Panelist Charles Gould, a farmer and MSU researcher, explained how early collaboration between farmers and developers can benefit both parties while improving soil quality and pollinator habitats. His ongoing agrivoltaic research gives me hope for a future where Northern Michigan farmland sustains agriculture while strengthening our energy grid.
ALLY LICHT, CLEAN ENERGY FELLOW
The Michigan Climate Summit was an inspiring chance to dig into the promise and challenges of solar energy, learn from experts, and connect with passionate change-makers from across the state. It was exciting to see Michigan’s solar successes (maybe link to Lyla’s Cheboygan piece) and hear about innovative community solar projects and smart land-use approaches. At the same time, I left wishing there had been more conversation about the impact of solar farms on forests. Moving toward a renewable future is essential, but it cannot come at the expense of our ecosystems. Energy development and conservation need to go hand in hand. Thoughtful planning of land use practices is essential before the construction of solar farms is underway. Michigan is making progress, but there is still work to do. We need more open discussions, smarter planning, and actions that make climate solutions not just effective, but fair and sustainable for everyone.
JEFF SMITH, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
One thing i was so pleased to experience at the conference was the spirit there. As we all know, the current administration has made its attack on clean energy a centerpiece of its policy agenda, both global and domestic, yet at the Summit a remarkable calm, strong confidence prevailed. I don’t mean to imply people were being naive. At the panel that Groundwork helped plan, speakers discussed the extensive and well-orchestrated opposition and misinformation that are sadly leading good people to call for misguided siting decisions. But we also heard of technology advances, new leading edge research on agrivoltaics, and progress on community zoning that enables clean energy to be sited in farm country. Samir Jain, a project manager for EDP that just received approval for an 800-acre solar site near Cheboygan, shared perspective on the good old fashioned market and tech forces that continue to drive solar forward. It boils down to the fact that renewable energy is simply superior technology—cost, ease of installation, smaller manufacturing impact, and of course, no toxic or carbon emissions—and we all know technology does not go backward. The clean energy transition is inevitable at this point. 
Groundwork’s team at the 2025 Michigan Climate Summit. From left: Jeff Smith, Zoë Zeerip, Lauren Teichner (board member), Nicholas Jansen, Lyla Hollis, Ally Licht.
