LANSING, Mich — A package of bills passed through the Michigan House of Representatives on Thursday, and are now one step closer to becoming law.
In October the Clean Energy Future plan - comprising of Senate Bills 271, 273, and 502 - passed through the Senate. To set clean energy
and renewable energy standards, boost energy efficiency targets, and expand the role of the Michigan Public Service Commission.
The House passed those same bills this week along with House Bills 5120–5123, which are aimed at streamlining the permitting process for wind and solar.
Democrats and a coalition of groups including Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA), Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action (MiCCA), Ecology Center, Evergreen Action, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America - Michigan Chapter, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Michigan League of Conservation Voters (MLCV), Audubon Great Lakes (AGL), Michigan Environmental Council, Ceres, and the National Wildlife Federation, praised the passage of the bill package saying in a statement:
“This legislation makes Michigan a regional leader in clean, renewable energy, like wind and solar and will help our state address the dangerous pollution causing climate change. It holds big utilities accountable to move toward 100% clean energy by 2040, reduces our energy use through energy efficiency and conservation measures and puts more resources toward health and safety upgrades for low-income residents. These bills will lower utility costs for ratepayers, improve grid reliability by increasing the use of rooftop solar and embrace the true potential of energy storage for the first time in Michigan law. The bills also streamline the permitting process to support local clean energy projects across Michigan and create local jobs, along with making it easier for farmers to lease their land for solar projects. We applaud the House members who voted in favor of these bills and we urge Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to sign the bills immediately. In the months ahead, we look forward to building on this legislation to do even more to hold utilities accountable, provide relief for ratepayers and make Michigan a leader in clean renewable energy.”
The passage of the bills was met with mixed reviews from Lansing though, with the vote falling along party lines, leading to House Republican Leader Matt Hall releasing a statement this morning condemning the vote saying in part:
“As Democrats held votes late into the night, they can be grateful the lights stayed on, because under their extreme Green New Deal, blackouts and brownouts will become routine,” said Hall, R-Richland Township. “This radical plan will ban natural gas, close power plants, and depend too much on fluctuating, unreliable wind and solar energy — and let Gov. Whitmer’s administration ignore local decisions and force wind and solar farms in rural Michigan communities to make their blackout nightmare a reality. To make matters worse, utility companies will push the costs of shutting down plants and installing experimental energy equipment onto their customers — nearly doubling monthly electric bills. High energy prices under this extreme, expensive legislation will burden Michigan families and impede the businesses who employ Michigan workers.”
Michigan Agri-Business Association (MABA) President Chuck Lippstreu voiced his opposition to the bills, saying they do not benefit rural and agricultural areas. His statement reads:
“This legislation will effectively silence small town voices on an issue with major implications for the future of rural Michigan, and the last-minute amendments to these bills do not change that impact. Renewable energy siting needs to be deliberate, thoughtful and inclusive of input from local leaders and community members, and we oppose these bills because they disregard the perspectives of rural, agricultural communities in our state.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has voiced her support for the package in the past and is expected to sign the bills into law.
