WATCH: Ottawa County weighs role in paused Silver Maple solar farm case as neighbors continue oppositionOttawa County weighs role in paused Silver Maple solar farm case as neighbors continue oppositionRWE Americas’ Silver Maple Solar Farm application was suspended in July after the company said it needed time to evaluate a recent Michigan Court of Appeals ruling that broadened the definition of an “affected local unit,” or ALU. During a county commission meeting last week, Ottawa County Board Chair Josh Brugger said officials are reviewing what role the county could play if the application is reactivated. “We want to do our best to advocate for the municipalities, the townships that are in Ottawa County, and to champion their causes.” The proposed solar farm would cover about 1,900 acres currently zoned for agriculture across both townships. “Ottawa County is one of the fastest-growing counties by population in the state of Michigan, and when you’re putting pressure like this on land use, Lansing is actually driving up housing costs in Ottawa County,” he said.