Michigan environmental news: Ex-Detroit Riverfront Conservancy CFO loses appeal of prison sentence

➡️ Appeals court upholds 19-year sentence for ex-Detroit Riverfront Conservancy CFO Former Detroit Riverfront Conservancy CFO William Smith lost his appeal of a 19-year prison sentence for embezzling more than $44 million from the nonprofit. A federal appeals panel dismissed Smith’s appeal, ruling he had waived his right to appeal as part of his plea agreement. Smith, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering, is serving his sentence at a federal prison in Milan, Michigan. His conviction prompted significant governance reforms at the conservancy. 📌 Source: Detroit Free Press

➡️ Detroit hands neighborhood solar projects to DTE after contractor exits business Detroit City Council voted 6-3 to transfer three neighborhood solar projects from Boston-based Lightstar Renewables to DTE Energy after Lightstar announced it was exiting the solar development business following a private equity acquisition. DTE will now oversee all five solar sites across 165 acres of largely vacant Detroit land. Nearby homeowners are receiving free energy-efficiency upgrades in exchange for the solar fields. Three council members voted against the move, citing distrust of DTE and frustration over delayed action. 📌 Source: Axios

➡️ $20 million Brennan Community Center at Rouge Park set for fall 2027 opening Detroit leaders and the Detroit Pistons broke ground Thursday on the $20 million Brennan Community Center at Rouge Park on the city’s west side. The 25,000-square-foot facility, funded by Pistons owner Tom Gores and the Gores Family Foundation, will include a gym, classrooms, and activity spaces for dance and reading. It will be the only indoor year-round recreation center in Detroit’s 7th District and is expected to open in fall 2027. 📌 Source: WXYZ-TV

➡️ Michigan judge warns dam sale could leave ratepayers holding the bag A Michigan administrative law judge has called Consumers Energy’s plan to sell 13 hydroelectric dams to Maryland-based Confluence Hydro for $1 each “highly problematic” and inconsistent with the public interest. The judge raised concerns about Confluence’s financial stability and long-term operational risks. Opponents argue the deal is unfair to ratepayers and threatens dam safety. Consumers Energy warns the dams would be decommissioned if the sale falls through. The Michigan Public Service Commission will make the final decision later this year. 📌 Source: WWTV

➡️ How BP secretly shaped the most influential climate paper of a generation A ProPublica and Drilled investigation reveals that BP secretly shaped the landmark 2004 “Wedges” climate paper by Princeton scientists Robert Socolow and Stephen Pacala. After donating $15 million to create Princeton’s Carbon Mitigation Initiative, BP executives reviewed drafts, suggested edits, and helped popularize the research, which heavily promoted carbon capture technology. The paper influenced presidents, the UN, and Al Gore’s documentary — but critics say it made solving climate change seem deceptively easy while keeping fossil fuels central to the solution. 📌 Source: ProPublica

➡️ Sterling Heights launches 62-acre open space plan with land buy Sterling Heights celebrated its first land preservation purchase funded by a voter-approved millage with a ribbon-cutting ceremony along the Clinton River corridor. The acquisition is part of a broader plan to create roughly 62 acres of connected open space linking natural areas to future recreational sites, including Rotary Park. Voters approved the Pathway to Play & Preservation millage in November 2024. The city partnered with Six Rivers Land Conservancy to protect woodlands and wildlife habitat along the river. 📌 Source: MLive