Gov. Gretchen Whitmer continues to be discussed as a rising national star in the Democratic party. She is making big decisions to appease those who might one day be put in a position to vote for her in a national election. This week, Ms. Whitmer signed a set of bills forming the Michigan Clean Energy and Jobs Act to make it the Midwest’s most aggressive clean energy state by 2040.
While some climate advocates praise the move, conservatives and local property groups are unhappy with the aggressive environmental plan, which could take over thousands of acres of farmland and place more financial and utility burdens on families.
Detractors of the Act, like Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp.), told The Epoch Times that the governor’s environmental push has more to do with her national political aspirations than her desire to help the state. “I think it’s 100 percent all about global goals and presidential ambitions and padding her resume,” he said. “When you drive through a partisan agenda that’s beholden to left-wing billionaire elites, these are the policies you get.”
Ms. Whitmer has done much to raise her national profile in the past couple of years. She was named a co-chair of President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign and the only governor. Earlier this year, she launched a federal political action committee (PAC) called the “Fight Like Hell” PAC to help raise funds for 2024 Democratic Candidates. She has also been glowingly profiled in magazines such as The Atlantic, Newsweek, and Politico and has appeared on television programs including The View.
Her aggressive Michigan Clean Energy and Jobs Act would streamline the permit process for solar and wind projects and mandate that state utilities move 100 percent of electricity sales to clean energy sources by 2040. Ms. Whitmer said the Act would add over 160,000 more clean jobs to Michigan’s expanding green economy.
But in February, the governor also heralded a Ford-sponsored ($3.5 billion) electronic vehicle (EV) battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, including $2 billion in state incentives that she said were going to create 2,500 new jobs in the area. However, Ford announced last week that its investment will be cut by $1 billion or more because EV capacity cuts at the automaker cost the project at least 800 of the projected jobs.
“Together, we are protecting our air, our water, and our land by focusing on taking climate change head-on,” Ms. Whitmer said during her bill signing this week. “Today is a huge win for Michigan families, for Michigan businesses, and future generations of Michiganders.”
One of the more controversial aspects of the Clean Energy Act is that the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) will have the power to approve zoning applications for some solar and wind energy projects. According to the MPSC, an additional 350,000 acres of land will be needed to reach the state’s 60% renewable energy goal. Some see this move as another assault on property rights by those with a clear agenda.
“It removes the decision-making authority from the towns and counties and gives it to the Michigan Public Service Commission. The three service commissioners [MPSC] that Whitmer herself appointed will be making the decisions on whether new wind or solar developments are going to be placed on farmland or state forests,” Jason Hayes, the director of Energy and Environmental Policy at the Michigan Mackinac Center think tank said to The Epoch Times. “This current crop of commissioners are—the friendly way to describe it—amenable to renewable energy because they worked for renewable energy companies, were environmental activists, or managed the ESG [environmental, social and governance standards] programs at the company they used to work at.”
The Michigan Association of Counties and the Michigan Township Association opposed the plan. “The only way they can get to the 60% goal is to gobble up farmland,” Mr. Nesbitt said.
“This bill is all pain and no gain and the more that we rely on the wind, solar, and battery aspect of the equation, the more unreliable our [power] grid becomes,” he said. “In our model, if we relied totally on wind and solar, we would have a period in January where we would have 61 hours of blackouts.
“Wind, solar, and battery are not reliable options,” Mr. Hayes said.
He added that if you manage Michigan household heat and power “with wind, solar, and a battery backup, the cost to the state will be $386 billion. That raises the average household utility bill by around $1,500 to $3,750 a year per family.”
