Today we talk with Peter Sinclair. Videographer, journalist, and longtime contributor to Yale Climate Connections, Peter is an icon of the Michigan climate movement. For years he has worked to counter the massively funded misinformation campaign that spreads lies about renewable energy. He has been a leading reporter and voice in Michigan, specifically, working to help farmers in their clean energy siting efforts by helping township officials and community members understand the true benefits and lack of risk of renewable energy.

GW: Welcome Peter. First, thank you for all the work you have done to help slow the warming of the planet. We know you are involved in many aspects of the climate movement, but tell us, what’s foremost on your mind right now as you think about where we really need to focus our efforts.

Peter Sinclair: For 20 years I’ve been doing a lot of education and research on climate and the solutions for climate change. About eight years ago, I realized that I really needed to spend a lot more time supporting the implementation of clean energy projects around the state and around the Midwest, because this really is the cutting edge for anybody that’s concerned about climate change. If you are in Michigan or anywhere in the Midwest, you are on the front lines, and you can potentially have a major impact on getting solutions implemented in and around your community. 

The one the issue we have, more than anything else, is there is a concerted, coordinated, well funded effort, going back many years, from the fossil fuel industry to disseminate false information about clean energy. They train bad actors to be instigators In communities and spread misinformation and spread paranoia and create anger about clean energy. We need to really up our game to push back against that.

GW: We know you’ve been showing up at town meetings, community meetings, where large-scale solar development projects are being proposed. Is there a certain project or community meeting that really stood out to you, one that you think exemplifies the larger discussion going on in Michigan?

Peter Sinclair: Well, I guess what comes immediately to mind are some areas where clean energy is being successfully implemented versus some areas where it’s been more of a slog.

When you drive up that corridor north of Lansing on highway US127, you go through about a 30-mile stretch where you see a lot of wind turbines. That is evidence of good communication, good community engagement by developers, and enlightened local leadership. Since 2012, more than $124 million in tax revenue from wind companies has gone to local governments in that area, which for a rural area is a lot of money. That does not include revenue going farmers for leases. We would hope to replicate that elsewhere. 

But other places where I’ve been working, like Montcalm County, has been a bit of a stalemate with wind for quite a few years. 

But now we’re seeing at least three good-sized solar projects in that county. The ice is breaking a little bit, and they’re starting to get some of those benefits in particular because the state now has a program called Renewable Ready Communities grants. You’re seeing tiny townships in Montcalm County that are getting these renewable ready grants of half a million dollars, or a million dollars.

When I first went to one township in Montcalm County, I literally drove by the township hall two or three times because I actually thought it was a tool shed.

To their immense credit, the township board members—under a lot of opposition pressure and even physical threat—passed a good ordinance. A good solar farm is now just about ready to go online. There’s another township there that got a similar project in place, and I believe they got a million dollars from the state up front, no strings attached. 

Part of this comes from Renewable Energy Communities Grants. And when you’re talking about townships that don’t have fire and rescue, and their roads are in poor condition. These grants at the project’s start, and then years and years of generous tax revenue, well, this is just an absolute game changer.

I’m a firm believer that living in a small town in rural Michigan is about as close to heaven as you can possibly get, but you need services to survive. You need fire and rescue, and police, protection, decent roads, libraries, senior services, all of these things are kind of what makes life livable and delightful and productive, and keeps people in communities. Farmers are able to stay on their land and keep their farm in the family, rather than selling off to housing and industrial developers.

The people of  that county had the advantage of looking across the road and seeing Gratiot County’s experience. All of the horror stories that were told about what was going to happen when you brought in wind turbines didn’t develop. And the money that was promised was able come true. The farmers that have wind turbines are pretty much happy they’ve got them, and a whole lot of people who decided or opted out are a little unhappy that they made the wrong decision.

GW: Michigan’s new siting act, PA233 has been around for a couple of years now, and it’s creating some forward momentum. But of course the federal administration is doing all it can to shut down renewable energy. Where do you see the state’s clean energy movement going from here? Where’s the momentum today?

Peter Sinclair: Well, PA233 is clearly successful. There’s a lot of controversy when that was first passed as to whether it would work as advertised, whether it would encourage the developers to go ahead and go through the state process. What it actually did was it empowered a lot of the more reasonable voices at the local level.

Basically, PA 233, the governor’s siting reform package, said, if you pass one of these goofy, illegal ordinances that bans renewable energy, we’re going to create a pathway for developers and farmers and land owners to permit through Lansing, through the Michigan Public Service Commission. And the Public Service Commission has a staff of more than 100 trained professionals who can put together a project in a way that makes sense. 

So a lot of local communities are saying, look, let’s work with the developers. Let’s come up with the plan ourselves, because a plan we make will end up with a better project for our community. It will be a more satisfactory resolution if we take the lead and make this happen at the local level. 

So we’re seeing a lot of permit agreements made at the local level, and we’re also seeing some intransigent townships that are having their projects go into the queue in Lansing. But important to know, if you permit through the MPSC, you are not eligible for Renewable Ready Community Grants, though your community would still receive annual property tax income. Eventually, those communities are going to have a project, and those farmers will be able to take advantage of that revenue and stay on the land. They’ll keep their family farms and businesses. 

GW: When you look ahead, are you optimistic that Michigan will be able to hit those ambitious renewable energy infrastructure goals that it has set? 

Peter Sinclair: You know, to meet the state’s clean energy net zero goal, I have concerns. I’m not pessimistic. But I have concerns. It depends a lot on how the elections go, particularly in 2026 and 28. As we all know, we have one of our political parties that hates clean energy.

So we need to retain the Democrats, to retain at least one of the legislative houses, to preserve the siting reforms. In terms of clean energy, if we don’t do that, then the siting reform would be swept away. That’s one of the Republicans’ top priorities. Then I don’t know, all bets are off for hitting the net zero goals.

A lot of people don’t understand that we have increasing demand for electricity, and we have only limited options right now for expanding energy generation. You have to wait at least five, six, some people say seven years to get a gas turbine. And you’re still looking seven to 10 or 12 years out before nuclear can make a significant impact. 

So really, the only thing that’s in the cupboard right now that’s realistic for rapid energy expansion is solar, wind, and batteries. What the current administration is trying to do to keep energy capacity online in Michigan is force us to keep a large coal plant down by Holland in service. It was supposed to be closed back on May 31 2025. The utility had completely provided for a smooth transition to move past that plant. They had all of the new generation in lockdown, the grid operator, the Mid-Continent System Operator, MISO had signed off on it. They were fine. Public service commissions signed off on it. 

Everything is fine but this mandate came down from the Department of Energy, which they did under an emergency order. And so they can mandate for 90 days to stay open, and then at the end of 90 days, they made another 90 day mandate, and then another 90 day mandate. This does not make sense.This is costing the ratepayers $615,000 a day. 

GW: Thank you so much, Peter, for talking today. Any final thought to add?

Peter Sinclair: Sure. So if you’re looking for resources on clean energy, I have two websites, sun101.org and wind101.info. Lots of good resources that answer a lot of your questions with interviews from experts, local officials, farmers, etc. 

Also, another website for those who would like to get involved actively is mihomegrownpower.com. You can go there and we have a little primer video that explains how this citing process works. And then you can join up, and we’ll put you in a regional group. We’ll keep you updated on projects in your area that you can get out and support. It’s amazing what a difference it makes. And Nick, you know this because you have spoken up eloquently at some local meetings, and you can see the chemistry change in a room when if just one or two people gets up and and speaks sanely, calmly, and factually about a project like this. It just takes so much pressure off of these board members, and it’s so powerful. We’re starting to see it happen.

Jeff Smith is Groundwork’s Communications Director.
jeff.smith@groundworkcenter.org