Tim Johnson’s windmill and solar panels at his house in Centerville Township, which he says generate 90 percent of the energy he uses.
Sun editor
On Tuesday’s election ballot aren’t just candidates for office, but a host of state constitutional amendments that let voters take the state’s future into their own hands — that’s perhaps a welcome opportunity at a time when trust of politicians and power-brokers is low.
Proposal 3, Michigan’s Renewable Energy Mandate, in particular, would require that 25 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable resources such as wind, solar, biomass and hydropower by 2025. The effort has been called “the most important clean-energy vote this year” (nationwide) by Grist magazine’s environmental luminary David Roberts. If passed, the Renewable Energy Mandate would build upon a 2008 Renewable Energy Standard (RES) requiring the state’s utilities to generate 10 percent of their power from renewable energy sources by 2015. The “10-by-15″ law enjoyed the support of both then Governor Jennifer Granholm (Democrat) and now Governor Rick Snyder (Republican).
Between 2008 and 2011, Roberts reported, the RES attracted more than $100 million in new investment to the state, and the influx of green energy had no discernible effect on energy prices. Two years ago, Michigan had nearly 80,000 green jobs, and proponents argue that this mandate could bring 40,000 more green jobs, and billions in new investments, to communities still reeling from the near collapse of the automobile industry. Plus, Roberts writes that energy costs bleed money out of Michigan. “Michigan is relatively limited in most energy resources and imports 97 percent of its petroleum needs, 82 percent of its natural gas and 100 percent of coal and nuclear fuel from other states and nations,” the state’s Public Service Commission wrote last year. “These imports account for about 72 cents of every dollar spent for energy by Michigan’s citizens and businesses.” But Michigan has enough local renewable energy to power itself three times over. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Michigan could power itself with onshore wind alone.
Supporters of the “25-by-25″ Renewable Energy Amendment include the group “Michigan Energy, Michigan Jobs”, the Sierra Club, the Michigan Nurses Association, the Sterling Corporation, the Michigan Environmental Council and the United Auto Workers. Opponents, who believe the initiative would tie the hands of energy companies, include the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the group “Citizens Protecting Michigan’s Constitution” and Governor Rick Snyder (despite supporting the state’s initial RES).
The Traverse City-based Michigan Land Use Institute has also weighed in to support the amendment, claiming that “Prop 3 could boost community renewables projects”, renewable energy represents a threat to the monopolies enjoyed by energy companies, ambitious renewables initiatives have had little effect on energy prices in states including Illinois, Minnesota and Colorado, Prop 3 would help Michigan compete with international competitors in the fast growing renewables sector. MLUI Executive Director Hans Voss offered this ringing endorsement of the Renewable Energy Mandate. In fact, so did former Governor (and moderate Republican) Bill Milliken.
Another Traverse City nonprofit, Circle of Blue, published a series of articles this year that examine how the push for renewable energy is fairing in Great Lakes states, how the recent boom in the natural gas industry has affected renewables on a market and policy level, and how climate change might affect the Great Lakes in the future.
Check out these stories:
• No Clear Path for Energy Policy in Great Lakes States: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania governments struggle with climate change, budgets, and changing markets.
• Great Lakes Ports and Shipping Companies Confounded by Climate Changes and Water Levels. Regional scientists are working on adaptation solutions and planning resilience.
• Clean Energy Picture Dramatically Changed For Midwest, As U.S. Fossil Energy Boom Gathers Steam With the price of natural gas falling, investments in water-sipping wind and solar energy are slipping.
• Fossil Fuel Boom Shakes Ohio, Spurring Torrent of Investment and Worry Over Water Ohio’s shale oil and gas fortunes point up.
• Connected by Pipeline from Canada, Tar Sands Represents Bonus and Risk to Great Lakes
Tags: Circle of Blue, Citizens Protecting Michigan's Constitution, David Roberts, green jobs, Grist Magazine, Hans Voss, Jennifer Granholm, Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Energy Michigan Jobs, Michigan Environmental Council, Michigan Land Use Institute, Michigan Nurses Association, Michigan Renewable Portfolio Standard, michigan renewables, Proposition 3, Renewable Energy Mandate, Rick Snyder, Sierra Club, Sterling Corporation, United Auto Workers
Somethings to consider before voting for Prop 3.
1) Prop 3 does not deal with energy conservation, the cheapest and most environmentally friendly way to reduce our energy consumption and pollution and create green energy jobs.
2) Prop 3 has nothing to do with individual or small business renewable energy use. It doesn’t help you as a home owner take advantage of the free energy sources around you.
3) Prop 3 is not a state energy plan. It doesn’t include any means as to how best to achieve a 25% mandate, how the renewable energy will be generated or who will do the actual generation. Nor does it deal with the estimated 3100 industrial sized wind turbines needed to achieve the 25% mandate as well as any additional private corporations that may want to build subsequent wind developments in Michigan.
4) We don’t really know the costs of this proposal. The 1% rate cap on Prop 3 is meaningless. Prop 3 tells our public regulated utilities they have to achieve a 25% mandate by 2025. If they feel they cannot keep the 1% cap they will go to court to have it raised.
5) You don’t have to be for the current coal system to be against Prop 3. Prop 3 is a easy sounding solution to our coal consumption problems. Prop 3 benefits a corporate culture that wants to harvest the energy around you and sell it back to you for the benefit of their investors without having ever to address the aesthetics and community concerns of large scale industrial wind turbines in the environment.
6) We should not be deciding our state energy policy based on the promise of jobs. If that was the case the Oil and Gas Fracking Industry could be making the same claims.
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