{"id":2108534,"date":"2023-11-27T08:20:05","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T13:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-a-clean-energy-package-could-put-michigan-gov-whitmer-on-the-map\/"},"modified":"2023-11-27T08:27:37","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T13:27:37","slug":"how-a-clean-energy-package-could-put-michigan-gov-whitmer-on-the-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-a-clean-energy-package-could-put-michigan-gov-whitmer-on-the-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Clean energy package could boost Gov. Whitmer&#8217;s profile in Michigan"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fhow-a-clean-energy-package-could-put-michigan-gov-whitmer-on-the-map%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2108534&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The \u200dRace for Clean\u200c Energy: Michigan&#8217;s Unexpected Rise<\/h2>\n<p>The \u2064race to have the most \u200c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-bidens-new-washing-machine-regulations-could-ruin-laundry-day\/\" title=\"How Biden's New Washing Machine Regulations Could Ruin Laundry Day\">ambitious clean energy agenda<\/a>\u2063 at\u2064 the\u200c state level \u200dhas been playing out for the last decade, if not longer.\u200c But a seemingly unexpected Midwestern state might be pulling ahead of climate champions like California \u2014 and its governor stands \u200dto benefit.<\/p>\n<p>In the coming days, \u200d <strong>Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI)<\/strong> is expected to sign a raft of clean energy bills into law that would completely reform the state\u2019s \u2064utility systems\u200c and cement the state as a leader in fighting\u2063 climate \u200bchange.<\/p>\n<h3>An Ambitious Agenda<\/h3>\n<p>The legislation, which \u2062passed the\u2063 Michigan legislature earlier this month, \u2064would require utilities to produce electricity using 100% clean energy by \u20632040 \u2014 one of the most \u2063ambitious standards in the Midwest\u2064 and comparable to ones established in environmentally \u200dfriendly states like California or New York. If signed into \u2064law, the measure would\u2062 enact deadlines that will gradually \u200bhelp the state reach its decarbonization goal, requiring utilities to generate 50% of their energy through renewable sources by 2030 \u200dand 60% by 2035.<\/p>\n<p>The legislation \u200cwould also:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Raise energy efficiency standards<\/li>\n<li>Allow \u2064more residents to enroll in rooftop solar energy programs<\/li>\n<li>Grant state regulators authority \u200cover large-scale clean\u2062 energy permitting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Other provisions in \u200dthe legislation would reform how \u200bthe state\u2019s regulatory agency, \u200dthe Michigan Public Service Commission, will plan for future operations, requiring\u200b it to\u2063 consider factors such as climate,\u2063 equity, and \u200daffordability when creating long-term power \u2064generation plans. The legislation\u2062 would also \u2063create an\u200d office aiding communities in transitioning from fossil fuel to clean \u2062energy \u2063jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Once signed into law, the set of bills will represent a win for\u200c Whitmer, who presented a plan last year aimed \u2063at tackling climate change while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-candidate-tim-ryan-uses-covid-voting-procedure-24-times-in-one-day-to-attend-campaign-events\/\" title=\"Senate Candidate Tim Ryan Uses COVID Voting Procedure 24 Times In One Day To Attend Campaign Events\">creating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-slams-biden-environmental-executive-orders\/\" title=\"GOP slams Biden environmental executive orders\">clean energy jobs<\/a><\/a> and \u200bspurring economic growth. The legislation\u200d was modeled after\u2062 the 58-page plan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith passage of these game-changing bills, Michigan will become a national leader on clean energy,\u201d Whitmer said in \u200da statement, \u200btouting that the bills \u200cwill lower utility costs while reducing\u200c reliance on foreign\u2063 energy sources.<\/p>\n<h3>A Surprising \u2062Turn of Events<\/h3>\n<p>More than half of the\u2064 country already has\u200d laws or standards in place to\u200d require utilities to switch to clean energy, but \u200conly a handful require the\u2062 transition to happen as quickly as the pace set by the Michigan legislation. Once signed into law, Michigan would transition to\u2063 zero-emission energy \u200bsources even faster than California, which has set the standard for aggressive climate change action for decades.<\/p>\n<p>Michigan Democrats were \u200cgiven\u2063 the\u2064 trifecta of controlling the state\u2019s House of Representatives and Senate (albeit with slim majorities) along\u2064 with the governor\u2019s\u200d mansion, giving the legislation\u2063 a narrow pathway toward passage. Still, if you had asked those\u200d involved in crafting the bill if it would \u2062have passed a year ago, some\u2064 may have hesitated to give a confident &#8220;yes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you had asked\u200d me a year ago if we were\u2063 going to get\u200c to this point, \u2062I might\u2019ve not been \u200das optimistic,\u201d said Derrell Slaughter, a Michigan clean energy \u2064advocate for the National\u2062 Resources \u200cDefense Council. \u2063\u201cBut\u2062 I think it\u2019s a real testament to the groups\u200b that really fought hard to get some significance out of this process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Support for \u200da bill like this would\u2019ve \u2062once been unthinkable\u200d in a state \u200cthat once fought tooth and nail to \u200dblock policies curbing pollution from\u200c factories that served as the backbone of Michigan\u2019s economy. But, according to a poll \u200creleased by green groups and touted by Whitmer herself,\u200d 67% of \u2063voters supported the governor\u2019s climate plan, with a majority \u200bdemanding \u200daction on energy policy following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/photos-south-african-parliament-ablaze-legislative-chambers-damaged\/\" title=\"PHOTOS: South African Parliament Ablaze; Legislative Chambers Damaged\">massive power outages<\/a> across the state.<\/p>\n<p>While\u2062 many \u200cenvironmentalists acknowledged that passage of the legislation was a huge first step for the state,\u2064 they noted they couldn\u2019t get everything they wanted. Slaughter told the Washington Examiner that \u2064activists\u2063 originally advocated a\u200d stricter renewable portfolio standard of 60% by 2030,\u200c a 100% clean energy standard by 2035, and tighter efficiency \u2062standards.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, many environmentalists had raised concerns about the inclusion of nuclear power and natural gas using carbon capture and storage technology as forms of clean \u200benergy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThose are not things that we were advocating for but are in the final bill,\u201d Slaughter said.<\/p>\n<p>Some advocates\u2064 went \u200das far as\u200b to call \u200clawmakers to withdraw their support for the bill after a carveout \u2064for landfill gas, nuclear power paired with\u200b CCS, biomass, gas from methane digesters \u200busing municipal sewage waste, and energy-generating incinerators were included in the final versions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese harmful elements are included in \u2063S.B. 271 because its drafting process\u2064 was an egregious miscarriage of procedural\u2063 justice,\u201d Andrea Pierce, a network manager for the\u200c Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, said in a statement reported on by the Michigan Advance. \u201cEnvironmental justice organizations and communities were ignored from the start, while corporate polluters chipped away at the bill.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Others reasoned\u2064 excluding\u2064 energy sources like nuclear would take\u2063 away from the resources that Michigan has to offer \u2014 and provide for \u200da missed opportunity that could bring down energy \u200ccosts for consumers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re allowing the\u200c full variety of low-carbon technologies to help get us\u201d to 100% clean energy, said Ryan\u2062 Fitzpatrick,\u2064 a \u200bsenior director of the \u200bClimate and Energy Program at \u2064center-left think\u2062 tank Third Way. \u2064\u201cWe\u2019re not taking solutions off\u200b the table. \u2026 We&#8217;re going to need these things to\u2064 get the\u200c job done and do it in a cost-effective way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Republicans, on the other hand, fiercely opposed the legislation \u200bin \u2062both chambers, raising \u200dconcerns\u2064 the policies would increase energy costs and lower reliability without input from local communities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis legislation is jam-packed with state mandates that will make family electric bills more expensive and create the very real possibility that the lights won\u2019t turn \u200don when those families go\u2064 to flip the switch,\u201d Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt said \u200cin\u2062 a \u200cstatement earlier this month. \u201cThese bills represent a destructive force\u200b of \u2063government from which generations of farms and families will never recover.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Whitmer&#8217;s National Profile<\/h3>\n<p>The expected passage\u200d of a \u200bbold \u2062climate legislation in an industrial state like Michigan raises the national profile \u200bof Whitmer, who has made other moves to insert herself into the 2024 cycle without being an\u200d actual candidate herself. Whitmer sits\u200b as one\u2064 of President Joe Biden\u2019s reelection campaign\u200d co-chairs, the only governor on the panel. In June, she launched a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/james-murdoch-gave-20-million-to-biden-progressive-groups-in-2020-report\/\" title=\"James Murdoch Gave  Million To Biden, Progressive Groups In 2020: REPORT\">federal political action committee<\/a>, dubbed the \u201cFight\u2062 Like Hell\u201d PAC, to help raise \u200bmoney for 2024\u200d Democratic candidates. Whitmer also headlined a major fundraising dinner \u200bfor the Minnesota\u2062 Democratic Party in October.<\/p>\n<p>Much of the governor\u2019s efforts \u200chave been centered on strengthening Democratic\u200b ties to Midwestern voters, an appealing message as the party struggles to maintain strongholds in the Rust Belt. It\u2019s a platform\u2064 that \u2064could catapult her into a bid for \u200dhigher office, such \u2063as the White House, a\u200c possibility that she has\u2062 ruled out for 2024 but\u2063 has left \u2064the door open for later.<\/p>\n<p>But the optics of passing a progressive energy bill through a\u200b state that had voted for Biden by a slim 3 percentage\u2062 points in 2020 is not one to ignore.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow she positions\u200b herself is a pragmatic realist coming from\u2064 a purple state,\u201d said Tim \u2063Minotas, a deputy legislative and\u2064 political director at the Sierra Club\u2019s Michigan \u200bchapter. \u200c\u201cIt shows that she \u2063can get a bold policy forward\u200d while working \u2062together in a bipartisan fashion in a \u2063state where it isn\u2019t \u200da\u200c completely Democratic stronghold, which I think kind of sets her\u200d out from the rest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But \u2062the competition from other \u2062climate\u200d champions might be fierce, especially if Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) decides \u200bto enter the \u2062ring in 2028. Fitzpatrick notes, however, that \u200dthe constituencies \u200bof both states remain\u2062 starkly different and could work to Whitmer\u2019s advantage, as Michigan stands to be more moderate than California.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhereas\u2063 Gov. Newsom might focus more on \u200demissions and environmental issues, I&#8217;m seeing a stronger emphasis from\u200c Gov. Whitmer on public health-related issues around \u2063climate and pollution but hitting really hard on the economics, on lowering costs, on bringing manufacturing to the state,\u201d Fitzpatrick said. \u201cAnd I think that plays well \u2062with\u2062 a really broad set of important voters across the country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/energy\/michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer-clean-energy-bills\">CLICK HERE TO READ\u200d MORE FROM \u2064THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does Governor\u200b Whitmer&#8217;s push\u200b for clean energy legislation in Michigan align with the broader national effort to transition\u200c to clean and renewable energy sources?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Hitmer has also been \u200da vocal advocate for clean energy \u200cand climate action, making it a key part of\u2063 her\u2064 agenda as governor. Her\u200c push for clean\u200c energy legislation in Michigan not only positions\u2063 the state as a leader\u200c in the fight against climate change but also aligns \u200dwith the broader national\u2064 effort to \u200dtransition to clean and renewable energy\u2063 sources.<\/p>\n<p>The \u200cpassage of these clean energy bills in\u200d Michigan is significant for several reasons. First,\u2062 it sets a high standard\u200c for clean energy production, with the goal \u200dof reaching 100% clean energy by 2040. This puts \u200cMichigan on the same level as environmentally friendly states like California and New York. The legislation also includes intermediate targets to\u200d ensure a \u200bgradual transition to renewable energy sources, requiring utilities to generate 50% of their energy from renewables by 2030 and 60% by 2035.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to setting ambitious clean energy goals, the legislation also focuses on\u200b raising \u200cenergy efficiency standards and \u200cexpanding access to \u2062rooftop solar\u2064 energy programs for residents. It also grants state regulators\u2063 authority over large-scale clean energy permitting, ensuring that\u200d there is\u2064 oversight and accountability in the\u200c transition to clean energy.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the legislation considers factors like\u200c climate,\u2063 equity, and affordability in long-term power generation \u200bplanning. This holistic approach recognizes the importance of addressing not \u2062just environmental\u2062 concerns \u200bbut also social and \u2062economic factors\u2062 in the \u200btransition to clean energy. The creation of \u2062an office to\u200d support communities in transitioning to clean energy jobs further demonstrates a commitment to a just and inclusive clean\u2063 energy transition.<\/p>\n<p>While the \u200bpassage of\u200d these bills\u200b is a significant achievement, it is not without its critics and controversies. Some environmentalists argue that the legislation does not go far enough in terms of renewable energy targets and excludes certain energy sources like nuclear power and natural gas with carbon capture and storage. \u200dOthers have raised concerns about the inclusion of \u200dlandfill gas, biomass, and energy-generating incinerators in the final bill.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, opponents of the legislation, mostly Republicans, argue that \u2063it \u200bwill increase energy costs and lower reliability, \u200cundermining the interests\u200b of local communities.\u200b They believe that the mandates imposed by the legislation will burden families and businesses.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the controversy, the \u2064expected \u200cpassage of these clean energy bills solidifies \u200cGovernor Whitmer&#8217;s reputation\u2062 as \u200ba leader in the fight against climate change. Her proactive approach to\u2063 addressing climate change and promoting clean energy has gained national attention, elevating her profile in\u2064 the Democratic Party. As \u200bshe continues to advocate for clean energy and climate action, Whitmer&#8217;s \u200cinfluence and impact on national politics are \u200dlikely to grow, especially as the 2024\u200d elections approach.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, Michigan&#8217;s unexpected rise as a leader in clean energy is \u2064a testament to\u2064 Governor Whitmer&#8217;s ambitious agenda and commitment to tackling climate change. \u2063The passage of these clean energy bills will not only transform the state&#8217;s utility\u200c systems \u200cbut also position Michigan as a national leader\u200b in the transition to clean and \u2064renewable energy sources. While there are \u2063critics and controversies surrounding the legislation, its significance in\u200d advancing clean energy goals and \u2062promoting \u200ceconomic growth cannot be overlooked. With Governor Whitmer&#8217;s\u2064 national profile on the rise, her bold climate \u200cagenda will continue to shape the conversation on clean energy and climate \u2062action in the years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The race for the most ambitious state-level clean energy agenda has been ongoing for a decade. Surprisingly, a Midwestern state, Michigan, may surpass climate leaders like California. Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) is set to gain from this development in the near future<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2108536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2108534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2108534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2108534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2108534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2108536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2108534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2108534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2108534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}