Michigan

United’s Samarth Medakkar discusses Michigan’s new virtual power plant (VPP) legislation, outlining how the Wolverine State can meet rising costs, rising reliability challenges, and rising energy demand through the use of VPPs and distributed energy resources (DERs) already found in homes and businesses.

Diverse stakeholders are joining together to encourage Michigan legislators to oppose House Bills 4027 and 4028.

Diverse stakeholders today announced the filing of a brief from industry organizations and multiple amicus curiae brief petitions in support of the Michigan Public Service Commission’s actions to implement Public Act 233 (PA 233).

Industry groups applaud Michigan’s support as ballot initiative falls short of signatures needed to roll back crucial renewable energy siting reforms.

United’s Meron Lemmi outlines a recent study by Strategen conducted for Advanced Energy United that sounds the alarm for Consumers Energy customers in Michigan. Monthly home heating bills, an already significant burden for many, are forecasted to rise — from an average of $75 in 2021 to between $114 and $131 in 2030. 

The Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council and Advanced Energy United said that a proposed ballot initiative to repeal how clean energy is sited in Michigan communities would harm job creation, farm income, protections for workers and critical revenue for local governments.

Advanced Energy United is joined by other industry groups applauding the House passage of legislation to streamline and improve the siting of wind, solar, and energy storage projects (House Bills 5120-5123) as well as bills to set a 100% carbon-free energy standard by 2040, enact an energy storage requirement, increase energy waste reduction, and improve customer access to rooftop (Senate Bills 271, 273, and 502).

The report shows that Michigan utility Consumers Energy’s residential customer gas rates will steadily increase over the next several decades due to projected utility capital expenditures and energy efficiency and electrification trends.

A report by Strategen Consulting and Advanced Energy United recommends Michigan policymakers focus on cost-containment strategies for natural gas.

In her “What’s Next Address,” Governor Whitmer named her clean energy priorities for the remainder of the legislative session, among them: reforms to permitting of large-scale renewable energy, a 100% clean energy standard, improvements to utility energy waste reduction programs, and authorization of the Public Service Commission to consider equity and climate in its regulation of utilities.

Stakeholders in Michigan worked with DTE Electric to accelerate retirement of coal-fired power plants to align with the Michigan Healthy Climate Plan’s emissions reduction goals.

Two guides, designed for Michigan’s governors and lawmakers, provide succinct descriptions and analyses of the tax incentives, programmatic funding, and other policies in the IRA and IIJA relevant to transportation electrification, domestic manufacturing, and the energy transition.