New Laws Make Michigan A National Leader in Clean Energy
DETROIT, MI - Today, Governor Whitmer will sign the Clean Energy Future bill package into law. The legislation, which includes Senate Bills 271, 273, and 502 will make Michigan a national leader on clean, carbon-free, and renewable energy.
The legislation will provide Michiganders with more options for affordable utility bills, set up the state to capture billions in public and private funds, and drive more equitable job creation and benefits for customers. Additional work will follow to ensure successful implementation of the package and an equitable clean energy transition for all.
The following is a reaction from Derrell Slaughter, Michigan Clean Energy Advocate at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council):
“These bills translate into better air, water, and health for everyone. The pathbreaking standards for the Midwest industrial heartland will see the state move to 100% clean energy by 2040 and put more resources toward energy efficiency. Michigan has seized the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to combating climate change and ensure a sustainable, just, and prosperous future for our state.”
About the Legislation:
The Clean Energy Future bills will mandate and include –
Renewable Energy
- 50% renewable energy by 2030, ramping up to 60% by 2035, making Michigan one of the strongest renewable states in the Midwest and nationally
- A 100% clean electricity standard by 2040, making Michigan just the 9th state to have enacted legislation that fully cleans up its power production
- An energy storage standard of 2,500 megawatts, making Michigan one of just a few states with this requirement and the first in the Midwest to do so
- A boost to distributed generation, by increasing the state’s “cap” on rooftop solar from 1% to 10% of each utility’s 5-year average peak load
Energy Efficiency
- Increases electric energy efficiency savings requirements and goals to 1.5%, with incentives that will get the utilities to 2% annually, making Michigan a leader in energy efficiency nationally
- First ever codified low-income energy efficiency spending requirement
- Health and safety measures allowed for low-income programs, helping Michiganders make more holistic improvements to their homes while making them more energy efficient
- Building electrification programs allowed under the energy efficiency standard, an ambiguity in the prior law that prevented progress on electrification
- Incentivized shifts in gas energy efficiency spending to focus more on building envelope, rather than continuing to incent gas appliances
- New energy efficiency workforce requirements
Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) Authority
- Requires the MPSC to consider climate, equity, and affordability as part of its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) cases, where the utilities set their long-term power generation plans
- Increased funding to support intervention in MPSC cases, with an emphasis on EJ and community groups
- Guaranteed public meetings for key cases
- A process at the MPSC for how to make the regulatory body more equitable and accessible in the future
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.