Michigan House of Representatives passes clean energy package, moves to Senate for concurrence and final passage
Early this morning, the Michigan House of Representatives voted to pass the “Clean Energy Future Plan,” moving the state one step closer to a 100 percent clean energy standard. Michigan ranks 10th nationally among all states for climate pollution, making a clean power sector essential for both state and national climate commitments. In parallel with the package, the chamber also passed legislation that will modernize the wind and solar siting process and establish community benefits agreements in places where projects are sited. Both the Clean Energy Future Plan and siting packages will go back to the Michigan Senate for concurrence and final passage before being sent to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk for signature.
In response, Evergreen Action Midwest Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager Courtney Bourgoin released the following statement:
“As the 2023 legislative session draws near a close, Michigan stands on the cusp of a historic opportunity to reinvigorate our economy. With the House passage of the Clean Energy Future Plan and legislation that will modernize the process for siting new wind and solar projects, Michigan’s legislature is one step away from passing legislation that will be a catalyst for an economic boom in the state. This legislation will bring in billions of dollars in federal investment and establish Michigan as a national leader in the growing clean energy economy.
“In addition to helping build a prosperous clean energy economy, the final passage of these two packages will be instrumental in lowering Michigan ratepayers’ energy bills and improving energy grid reliability across the state. We thank the bill sponsors and advocates for their ongoing work to get these policies across the finish line and look forward to Senate concurrence and final passage next week.”
Earlier this year, Evergreen Action and the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council unveiled a report from 5 Lakes Energy detailing the economic benefits of passing a clean energy standard and other climate policies. The report found that in addition to saving Michigan households an average of $145 a year in energy costs, policies like the ones in the package and additional measures would secure $7.8 billion more in federal investment from the Inflation Reduction Act and drive the creation of nearly 160,000 quality jobs.
In addition to the economic benefits, 100 percent clean energy is also extremely popular among Michigan voters. In a poll Evergreen released in April by Data for Progress, 65 percent of voters supported legislation to transition the state’s energy grid to 100 percent clean energy and 73 percent of polled voters want the Legislature to do more to keep energy bills affordable.