Proposed legislation in Michigan could make it more difficult for green energy projects to get off the ground and for the state to reach its renewable energy goals.

What’s happening?

In early May, WEMU public radio reports, the Michigan House voted to undo key parts of a previous law and prohibit the state from overriding local zoning regulations to approve more renewable energy projects.

Under a 2023 state law, if local governments rejected a renewable-energy project, utilities could go directly to state officials to seek approval. That law was enacted to help Michigan reach legislated goals of 50% renewable energy by 2030 and 60% by 2035.

State Rep. Gregory Alexander, R-Carsonville, sponsored the new legislation, saying that the 2023 law took power away from communities and, therefore, voters.

“I’m not opposed to wind and solar to the communities that want to host them,” Alexander told WEMU. “But when they’re not supported by the communities, we’re taking away their voice.”

House Democrats voted to keep the 2023 bill in place, with state Rep. Sharon MacDonell, D-Troy, saying on the House floor that the original legislation would help keep energy costs down.

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“I met and spoke to farmers who wanted to use solar to earn extra income on their farms to save their family farms. But their local government said no,” MacDonell said. “What about individual rights?”

Although the Michigan House passed this repeal, it seems unlikely to even come up for a vote in the state Senate, whose Democratic leadership is opposed to it.

Why is renewable energy important?

Simply put, renewable energy is the future of energy. Wind, solar, green hydrogen, and other sources prove that energy can be sustainable and doesn’t have to pollute our planet.

This matters because, for generations, our energy has come from dirty energy sources like coal, oil, and natural gas. These are called “dirty” sources because the drilling, mining, and burning of fossil fuels causes massive amounts of pollution that gets trapped in our atmosphere, warming the planet and causing more extreme weather.

A 2024 report showed that, if the world were able to triple its amount of clean energy usage by 2030, 11 billion fewer tons of pollution would be pumped into the atmosphere. It would also cut energy costs worldwide by about 10%.

What is Michigan doing about renewable energy?

In 2022, the state passed the MI Healthy Climate Plan, which aims to get Michigan to carbon-neutrality by 2050. 
That plan provided funding for several clean-energy projects, such as MI Solar for All, which increased access to rooftop and community solar energy for thousands of low-income families. The state also purchased 15 electric recycling trucks to be used across three counties, as part of its effort to move away from diesel and other dirty energy sources.

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