The MAGA Solar Act: Why This Bill Could Hurt Michigan’s Clean Energy Future And Not in the Way You Think

Michigan’s MAGA Solar Act Explained

In June 2025, Michigan lawmakers introduced the Maximizing American Grid Affordability (MAGA) Solar Act, a bill pitched as a way to protect farmland, strengthen national security, and give local communities a voice in solar development. It proposes:

A 20% cap on solar energy in Michigan’s grid.
Local zoning authority, giving counties and townships power over solar project approvals.
Bans on Chinese solar panels and other foreign imports.
Limited rooftop solar incentives.
Encouragement of agrivoltaics and pollinator-friendly solar projects.

On the surface, it looks balanced. But dig deeper, and the MAGA Solar Act could be devastating for Michigan’s solar future economically, environmentally, and socially.

Why the MAGA Solar Act Could Be Bad for Michigan

1. Artificially Capping Solar at 20% Will Raise Costs Long-Term

Michigan’s electricity rates are already among the highest in the Midwest. By imposing a 20% ceiling, the MAGA Solar Act could:

Prevent Michigan from scaling the cheapest energy source available. According to Lazard’s 2024 LCOE report, utility-scale solar is now the lowest-cost source of new energy cheaper than gas, coal, or nuclear. Limiting solar at 20% forces reliance on pricier alternatives.
Block innovation and efficiency gains. As solar grows, costs fall further. A cap cuts off those long-term savings.
Make Michigan less competitive. Illinois and Minnesota are expanding solar aggressively. If Michigan stalls, clean energy businesses and jobs could simply relocate across state lines.

The result? Michigan households could see higher bills for decades, all because policymakers locked in an outdated ceiling.

2. Local Zoning Will Create Gridlock, Not Growth

While local control sounds democratic, in practice it creates chaos:

Inconsistent rules: 83 counties, each with different permitting requirements, could turn solar development into a bureaucratic nightmare.
Polarization: Township meetings could devolve into political fights, pitting neighbors against each other. This has already been seen in Shiawassee and Huron counties, where solar moratoriums froze projects for years.
Lost revenue: Rejecting projects means forfeiting millions in tax revenue and lease payments for farmers money that supports schools, roads, and rural services.

Instead of empowering communities, local zoning could paralyze solar growth, leaving Michigan stuck while other states push ahead.

3. Panel Bans Could Backfire Hard

Banning Chinese-made solar panels is framed as “protecting American jobs,” but the reality is harsher:

China controls 80% of global solar panel manufacturing. Cutting them out instantly raises costs. U.S.-made panels are often 20% to 40% more expensive.
Delayed projects: Supply chain disruptions will slow installations, leaving Michigan far short of its clean energy targets.
Unrealistic alternatives: U.S. manufacturing capacity isn’t yet sufficient to replace imports at scale. Forcing a ban now risks creating a solar shortage in Michigan.

This means fewer homeowners can afford solar, fewer farms can build agrivoltaic projects, and overall growth slows to a crawl.

4. Agrivoltaics Could Be Strangled Before It Scales

Ironically, while the MAGA Solar Act highlights agrivoltaics, its policies may crush the very projects it claims to support:

Scale is critical. Michigan State University research shows agrivoltaics work best at scale, where shading, water retention, and crop benefits are maximized. But a 20% cap ensures large projects hit a wall quickly.
Farm income at risk. Michigan farmers leasing land for solar earn an average of $700 to $1,200 per acre per year and that is far more than some crops. Cutting solar growth limits these opportunities, especially in struggling rural economies.
Pilot purgatory: Without room to grow, agrivoltaics risks staying stuck in “research phase” forever and therefore never becoming the mainstream solution it could be.

Instead of being Michigan’s breakout innovation, agrivoltaics could become a niche experiment, sidelined by policy limits.

5. Michigan’s 2040 Clean Energy Goal Could Collapse

Michigan has pledged to achieve 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040. But with Solar for All funding canceled by the Trump administration and the MAGA Solar Act restricting growth, the path is shaky:

Solar growth stalls: If capped at 20%, Michigan will rely heavily on nuclear or out-of-state power, both of which are far more expensive.
Jobs lost: The Solar Foundation reports solar is one of the fastest-growing job sectors in Michigan. A cap directly stunts workforce expansion.
Climate risk: Slower clean energy transition means higher emissions, worse air quality, and more extreme weather costs… All borne by Michigan households.

The MAGA Solar Act will delay progress and it may make Michigan’s 2040 clean energy goals mathematically impossible.

The “Not What You Think” Factor

At first glance, the MAGA Solar Act looks like a compromise protect farmland, block foreign imports, give locals control. But the deeper reality is:

It locks in higher energy costs.
It stifles farmer income and rural economic growth.
It undermines Michigan’s climate and energy commitments.

What’s pitched as “energy security” could end up being energy stagnation, leaving Michigan paying more, innovating less, and falling behind.

Final Thoughts

The MAGA Solar Act may sound like a balanced approach, but its unintended consequences could be severe. By capping solar at 20%, complicating zoning, and banning affordable panels, Michigan risks stunting its most promising clean energy path at the very moment it should be accelerating.

For households, that means higher energy bills and fewer rooftop options. For farmers, it means lost revenue from agrivoltaic leasing. For Michigan as a whole, it means risking its place as a leader in innovation choosing short-term politics over long-term progress.

Sources:

Michigan Solar Partners