ABOUT ALESSANDRA CARREON:

Alessandra Carreon is the Chief Climate Officer, In this role, Carreon oversees the Office of Climate and Energy (OCE) driving action to fulfill the state’s mission to address climate change impacts as outlined in the state’s MI Healthy Climate Plan. The office works on developing and implementing policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and support the transition to renewable energy sources. Through collaboration with varied partners and engagement with community, the OCE aims to create a resilient and sustainable future for all Michiganders.

Before joining EGLE, Carreon was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Public Service Commission as the first Asian American commissioner in state history. Previously, Carreon also held key roles in the private and nonprofit sectors, including leading projects focused on electric vehicle battery circularity and equitable fleet electrification in carbon-free transportation at RMI and managing responsible raw material sourcing at Ford Motor Company.

Carreon brings nearly two decades of experience in sustainability and an equitable clean energy transition, including environmental consulting, regulatory compliance, and corporate responsibility. Her extensive experience and passion for environmental sustainability, clean energy, and public engagement are at the forefront of Michigan’s climate initiatives.

Alessandra is a licensed Professional Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Rice University, as well as a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

She lives in Detroit with her family. In her free time, Alessandra enjoys planning and preparing elaborate meals for her loved ones and community, making Neapolitan pizza, and studying enology.

ABOUT LISA WOZNIAK:

Michigan League of Conservation Voters

/

michiganlcv.org

Lisa’s career spans over two decades of environmental and conservation advocacy in the political arena. She is a nationally- recognized expert in non-profit growth and management and a leader in Great Lakes protections. Lisa is a three-time graduate from the University of Michigan, with a bachelor’s degree and two ensuing master’s degrees in social work and Education.

Lisa serves a co-host and content partner in 89.1 WEMU’s ‘1st Friday Focus on the Environment.’

RESOURCES:

Michigan League of Conservation Voters

Michigan Department of Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)

EGLE’s Office of Climate and Energy

Alessandra Carreon Bio

MI Healthy Climate Plan

TRANSCRIPTION:

David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU, and welcome to another edition of our monthly conversation series, First Friday Focus on the Environment. I’m David Fair, and over this past summer, the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy named a new Chief Climate Officer. What an interesting political environment to work in when your job is to work towards greater adaptation and resiliency. It’s a world in which my co-host is all too familiar with. Lisa Wozniak is executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, and do you feel adapted?

Lisa Wozniak: Oh, David, I actually don’t! I don’t believe it’s very natural to settle into a narrative that is dismantling decades of smart, compassionate and critically important public health and environmental protections. But we’re not here to talk about me. We’re here to talk about what the state is doing in terms of adaptation. And as you mentioned, EGLE has a brand-new leader in the Office of Climate and Energy, and Alessandra Carreon was named to the position over the summer after serving at the Michigan Public Service Commission and is now on the other end of the phone line. So, thank you so much for taking time, Alessandra!

Alessandra Carreon: My pleasure! Happy to be here!

Lisa Wozniak: You’ve had a few months to settle into this job. And to start on an optimistic note, what is the most promising climate work already underway in Michigan right now?

Alessandra Carreon: I’m glad we’re starting on a promising note! Frankly, despite the changes at the federal level, I think one of the most exciting and truly admirable foundations of the Office of Climate and Energy are the relationships and the community that has been built around implementing the MI Healthy Climate Plan. So, it’s truly been incredible to see, speaking of resilience, the commitments, the persistence, and the joy and excitement that our communities and our partners still have at addressing, mitigating climate change, adapting to climate change. The resolve isn’t gone. And the state’s commitment to implementing the MI Healthy Climate Plan isn’t gone. In fact, it’s thinking about creative ways to do the same thing. It was kind of a blip in time to have the influx of funding and resources and support that we did. And so now, we know. We double down in different ways, but we’re going to get the work done, nevertheless.

David Fair: Well, if you have to double down in your early assessment, what climate policies and/or protections do you think deserve more attention right away?

Alessandra Carreon: Our primary goals are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, 52% by 2030 in terms of near-term goals. We’re looking to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. And then, we have to address environmental injustices related to climate along the way. So, when I think about what’s making a difference, I really see it as buckets around what are the sectors that we need to address the most, so cleaning the electric grid. The change that our 2023 clean energy laws enabled were momentous. And so, we’re able to lean on our 2023 clean energy laws and go full steam ahead in achieving our clean energy goals. When it comes to the next three sectors that emit the most emissions in our state, we’re looking at transportation, buildings and industry.

David Fair: WEMU’s First Friday Focus on the Environment Conversation with Alessandra Carreon continues. She is Chief Climate Officer in the State Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

Lisa Wozniak: Clean energy is not a top of the list priority for the federal administration. And in fact, President Trump told the United Nations that green energy is a scam, and that countries making significant investments in this sector, and I quote, “are going to Hell.” We have a divided state Legislature in Michigan. What limitations are politics at both the federal and the state levels putting on the job that you’re tasked with doing?

Alessandra Carreon: One thing I always like to remind myself or remind folks is that this is happening in the U.S., but clean power, at this point, has surpassed 40% of global electricity generation as of last year, and that’s from a World Economic Forum source. So, to your point, we can have that narrative in the U.S., but the U.S. is part of a much bigger system. Ultimately, we, at the state, our commitment to climate is unchanged. Our MI Healthy Climate Plan and the programs that the Office of Climate and Energy, our collaborators across state government, uplift and enable ongoing investments in clean energy. So, for example, we have had and continue to support a Renewable Ready Communities Award, and that incentivizes communities to host large-scale renewable energy projects like wind, solar, and battery storage by providing awards that supplement existing tax revenue and community benefits as communities really address their most urgent needs.

David Fair: The federal government’s withdrawal of Solar for All funds was a major blow. There’ve been many other grants and services also canceled, and remaining money for future programs was rescinded by Congress. Can Michigan achieve its climate and energy goals given those circumstances?

Alessandra Carreon: Those circumstances make things go slower and at a higher cost, for sure. What could have been done cheaper and faster is no longer the case. But ultimately, this isn’t a, quote, “industry” that is flowing down by any means. This is where, again, the plan around considering economic opportunities, considering how we address environmental injustices really means we expand the lens in how we talk about climate impacts. And mitigating against climate, adapting to climate, isn’t going to rely on any single solution. We need to look at things like how we design our infrastructure. We have to look across state departments for how we ensure affordability of, again, not just our energy bills, but virtually everything–our transportation, our housing, this is all interconnected when it comes to climate. My vision, my really goal, is to think about how we embed these strategies across state governments. Something I might frame in a climate or energy context really is about making things more affordable for Michiganders and making sure that the very things we enjoy today are available for our children and future generations. But again, we have a plan that is in place to make sure we know what our long-term goals are and that we don’t waver from them.

David Fair: Once again, we’re talking with the head of EGLE’s Office of Climate and Energy, Alessandra Carreon, on WEMU’s First Friday Focus on the Environment, and the other voice you hear is that of my co-host, Lisa Wozniak.

Lisa Wozniak: A major issue facing this listening area, the state and, frankly, the nation as a whole, is the issue of data centers. Several communities in Washtenaw County are considering zoning that would allow for these major operations, and there are huge energy concerns with these types of centers, as I am sure you know well. On the other side of the coin, these centers tend to generate dollars into the local communities. So, I’m wondering how your office is looking at this issue.

Alessandra Carreon: Our office is certainly not the only part of state government looking at this issue. We really need to look at a variety of measures, again, kind of an all-of-the-above approach for data centers. We know, when managed, load growth could increase peak demand, could force greater reliance on fossil-fueled power, so we have to think about how any data centers within our state are committing to clean power procurement and, ultimately, how we can use flexible data center operations in order to support reliability while reducing emissions intensity. And again, this is just from the energy side. We haven’t even talked about any other water or other natural resources to look at. So, again, the perfect example of an issue that requires cross-departmental focus, collaboration, and data–the facts.

David Fair: We’re in the midterm election cycle, and it can be difficult to get things done when major elections loom ahead. What do you hope Michigan will have accomplished through the end of Governor Whitmer’s administration?

Alessandra Carreon: There’s so many things, but I think, ultimately, what I would really want to make sure the Office of Climate and Energy, through its original executive directive, ultimately, is able to ensure that the trajectory we are on with our emissions reduction is maintained and that we are also simultaneously looking at planning for adaptation, because resilience means we’re mitigating against those impacts and adapting at the same time. I really want to make sure that the course we’ve set for buildings, for transportation, for industry is so embedded that it would be challenging to unravel the momentum. And I think we’re on track for that. And again, this is something that’s happening across state departments. It’s not reliant just on the Office of Climate and Energy. And ultimately that we’re setting up a framework, and again, this is in place too, because every department is thinking about this out of necessity. How do we ensure we’re adapting to change? How do ensure we are designing and maintaining our infrastructure for these extreme weather events? And bottom line for me too, and this might be a vestige of my time at the Michigan Public Service Commission, but all of this work has to happen in a way that’s affordable for Michiganders. So, let’s think critically about the cost associated with it, the innovative business models that could accompany this and make sure, again, that the very partners that we aim to support are centered in the decision-making process and that everyone benefits from these changes equitably. And I think that is embedded. It’s not just lip service. We talk about environmental justice and equity. And, ultimately, what that means is fairness for all Michiganders in the same breath that we talk about how we update our infrastructure.

David Fair: Well, we’ve barely scratched the surface, but, alas, our time has come to an end. Alessandra, thank you so much for time and talking with us today!

Alessandra Carreon: Thank you! Thank you for having me!

David Fair: My name is Alessandra Carreon. She is the recently appointed head of the Office of Climate and Energy in the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. My co-host for WEMU’s First Friday Focus on the Environment is Lisa Wozniak. She’s the executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. Always resilient, always adaptable, and always great. What do you say we do it again in about a month?

Lisa Wozniak: Let’s do that! Thank you, David!

David Fair: It’s First Friday Focus on the Environment. And for more information on today’s topic and to visit the First Friday archive, stop by our website at WEMU.org. I’m David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU-FM, Ypsilanti.

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