logo
Developers and advocates lay out methods for meeting Whitmer's 60% clean energy goal

Developers and advocates lay out methods for meeting Whitmer's 60% clean energy goal

Yahoo24-04-2025
Solar panels in Grand Ledge | Laina G. Stebbins
As Michigan works to build out its clean energy infrastructure to meet its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040, panelists at the 2025 MI Healthy Climate Conference sat down to discuss the steps — and the hurdles — in achieving Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's goal of generating 60% of the state's power from renewables by 2030.
When looking at the biggest challenges in shifting Michigan's energy grid away from fossil fuels to sources like wind and solar, energy developers and solar energy proponents focused on community sentiments as the biggest stumbling block.
Chris Kunkle, the vice president of government affairs for Virginia-based Apex Clean Energy, said the clean energy industry is facing a lot of headwinds from the federal government particularly during a time when energy demand is rising quickly.
However, energy policy is largely determined at the state level, Kunkle said, with Michigan's 2023 clean energy package helping to alleviate previous difficulties in securing permits, allowing energy developers to pursue permitting at the state level if a municipality fails to approve or deny their application within a timely manner, or if local zoning boards either adopt standards stricter than the health and safety standards outlined in the law, or if they deny an application that complies with the standards outlined in the law.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
'We were thrilled to see the state Legislature come up with a really novel approach where you're required to try to go through the local process — and quite prescriptive about what that looks like —and if that falls apart for whatever reason, there's an alternative route to go through the state and receive a permit,' Kunkle said.
But, just like renewable developments in rural communities, these bills were hotly debated in the Legislature, as Republicans argued they stripped away local control in the zoning process.
While the bills ultimately passed along party lines in the previous Democratic-led House and Senate, Republicans have since taken control of the House and Rep. Gregory Alexander (R-Carsonville) has introduced a pair of bills, HB 4027 and HB 4028, to repeal the changes to the permitting process.
'Local governments and residents know their areas better than the state,' Alexander said in a press release. 'They craft policies with this in mind, and people expect their elected local officials to make decisions for their communities and their families with their input at the forefront. When unelected state bureaucrats to come in, cast local input aside and impose projects onto communities, it's a textbook example of government overreach. Our locals should be able to make decisions on property use for themselves, and these bills re-establish this critical element.'
Elise Matz, the vice president of public affairs for Circle Power, said that public acceptance of renewables was a challenge within the state, emphasizing the importance of engaging with the community on the benefits the project could bring.
Matt Wagner, the manager of renewable energy development for DTE Energy, one of the state's largest energy companies, said that the best advertisement for a company's next clean energy project is the last project it finished.
'If those projects go well, you know, we can point to them. It's not just us pointing to them, it's other communities and leaders saying, 'Hey, you know, these guys did a great project over here. You can trust them.' That's our goal,' Wagner said.
On another panel, John Freeman, executive director of the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association, pointed to three main stumbling blocks in encouraging clean energy adoption: education, affordability and the disparity in access.
'People are inherently nervous about big social change, and there's nothing fundamentally bigger than transitioning from our current energy system to one that's built around renewable energy. So we have to do a lot of education to make people feel comfortable with this change,' Freeman said, later pointing to the association's efforts in teaching local governments how to develop a sustainability plan and bringing local officials up to speed on the benefits solar energy systems can bring to a community.
Ali Dirul, the chief executive officer of Ryter Cooperative Industries, which helps design and build solar energy systems, said oftentimes solar developments are done to communities, instead of with them.
'A large solar farm is just plotted in the middle of somebody's recreation area and then, you know, there's upheaval, because it's like anything, if somebody just slapped something in the back of your backyard, you'd ask some questions,' Dirul said.
Community members are the ones who know what they need in their neighborhoods, Dirul noted, creating an opportunity for developers, funders, foundations and foundations to engage with them so that the community can actually benefit.
In the developers panel, the speakers highlighted Michigan's renewable ready communities award, which provides communities who adopt renewable energy with $5,000 per megawatt of capacity to a maximum of $3 million as a major motivator for communities.
However, renewable energy may remain inaccessible to some families, Dirul said, using renters, people who live in multifamily homes, and those who do not have the money upfront for these kinds of projects as an example.
One way to address these concerns is through community solar, Freeman said, allowing residents to buy or subscribe to individual solar panels in an array in order to save money on their energy bills due to the energy generated by the panels. However, these arrangements do not currently have a legal framework in Michigan, with Freeman calling for lawmakers to enact a community solar law.
On the other panel, Kunkle further emphasized the impact that federal tariffs would have on procuring materials for battery storage and other clean energy efforts.
Wagner similarly addressed concerns with navigating the supply chain as President Donald Trump implements and pauses tariffs.
'When you're ordering, literally, in some cases, not just tens of millions, but hundreds of millions of dollars of equipment, it's kind of hard to be nimble and do that in a pause,' Wagner said.
'DTE was fortunate to get a lot of infrastructure in early and we warehoused it. We had no idea how smart we look now,' Wagner said, later noting that this was only a short term solution, with clean energy developers in need of more domestic supply.
Kunkle also emphasized the importance of retaining clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, which face an uncertain future as Trump works to roll back climate efforts implemented under former President Joe Biden.
'If you do that, the price of energy goes up,' Kunkle said, explaining that companies who have committed to building out additional energy resources will still need to procure those resources even as prices increase.
Both panels also discussed workforce development needs, and ways to cultivate clean energy jobs within Michigan communities and ensure that the energy workforce sees a just transition.
Matz noted Circle Power's strong relationship with the building trade workers in the Upper Peninsula, who she said served as major advocates for renewable energy efforts and helped change sentiments on a project from something that may or may not work, to something that is real and will be constructed safely.
Wagner called for efforts to encourage renewable energy careers, noting that DTE partners with technical colleges across the state, noting that these jobs could help keep families together as young people look for opportunities out of Michigan.
'[Parents] hated seeing their kids move away from Bad Axe or move away from other rural communities. It's like, 'How can you do something to help us bring them back?' Well, There's enough renewable energy development projects across Michigan that are going to be going in in the next 10 to 15 to 20 years. If some of these young people from these communities go and get trained, they can be back in their communities with a real, well-paying job. And when parents hear that, it just gives that hope they're not going to lose their kids,' Wagner said.
Dirul noted that while there is no shortage of talent in Detroit to help build and operate clean energy systems, the one thing that is missing is access to training.
'We want to ensure that everybody has access to these pipelines, to these educations, to these trainings, to these certifications, so that they can advance themselves, advance their careers and potentially become gainfully employed in the clean energy industry,' Dirul said.
'We're also looking to just expand beyond entry level jobs. Like, we should also look at management and entrepreneurship.… Not everybody's going to get up on a roof and install solar, and for many people, that's the one thing that will actually detract them from trying to get into the clean energy industry,' Dirul said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump admin escalates its war with the courts — this time targeting Judge Boasberg
Trump admin escalates its war with the courts — this time targeting Judge Boasberg

Politico

time25 minutes ago

  • Politico

Trump admin escalates its war with the courts — this time targeting Judge Boasberg

Boasberg's remarks at the conference came after weeks of Trump allies inside and outside the administration suggesting judges who rule against the president should be impeached and disfavored court orders should be ignored. Judges at every level — including justices of the Supreme Court — have raised the specter of defiance by the administration and urged officials to respect court orders regardless of which court or judge issues them. Jeffrey Sutton, the chief judge of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals who briefed journalists after the conference that day, said several lawmakers were in attendance, including Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), as well as Reps. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Hank Johnson (D-Ga.). It is unclear whether the lawmakers heard Boasberg's remarks. A spokesperson for Boasberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mizelle's complaint falls to Sri Srinivasan, the chief judge of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, who oversees judicial disciplinary matters for judges in that circuit. Federal judges are ordinarily barred from making out-of-court public comments about pending or impending matters. It's unclear whether Boasberg's remarks at the judges' meeting qualify and whether he was speaking about any case he knew to be pending or imminent. The complaint also makes more general claims that his statements undermined 'public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary.' Mizelle also filed a complaint earlier this year against Washington-based U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes for her sharp-elbowed comments about the Justice Department's arguments in a lawsuit seeking to block Trump's transgender military ban. In March, the Justice Department asked the D.C. Circuit to remove Boasberg from the deportation case and reassign it to another judge, an extraordinary step. The appeals court never acted on that request but has paused his orders related to potential contempt proceedings. After Boasberg's March ruling, Trump called for the judge's impeachment, labeling him a 'troublemaker and agitator.' The new complaint again asks for Boasberg's removal from the deportation case and for him to be reprimanded publicly. It also raises the prospect of his fellow judges calling for his impeachment over the remarks. The administration has recently escalated its fight with the judiciary in two other arenas. The Justice Department sued the entire federal bench in Maryland over a policy granting an automatic 48-hour hold on deportation cases. And the administration publicly attacked judges in New Jersey for appointing a veteran federal prosecutor as the state's U.S. attorney — an effort to push aside Trump's pick for the post, his former personal attorney Alina Habba.

Waymo, Avis plan Dallas robotaxi launch in multiyear deal
Waymo, Avis plan Dallas robotaxi launch in multiyear deal

Miami Herald

time30 minutes ago

  • Miami Herald

Waymo, Avis plan Dallas robotaxi launch in multiyear deal

Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo plans to launch robotaxi service in Dallas next year in partnership with Avis Budget Group Inc., a push by the autonomous car company to diversify beyond its relationship with Uber Technologies Inc. to further expand across the U.S. In a first, Waymo said Avis will serve as the fleet partner for its robotaxis in Dallas. Customers can order rides on Waymo's app while Avis will provide car management services, including infrastructure, vehicle readiness, maintenance and general depot operations, the companies said Tuesday in a statement. The Dallas deal marks a multiyear partnership that Waymo and Avis plan to expand to more cities over time, according to the statement. Avis' foray into robotaxi fleet management sets it up as a competitor to Uber and Lyft Inc., which are positioning themselves to provide similar services for driverless cars in addition to their customer-centric rideshare program. "Our partnership with Waymo marks a pivotal milestone in our evolution, from a rental car company to a leading provider of fleet management, infrastructure and operations to the broader mobility ecosystem," Brian Choi, Avis chief executive officer, said in the statement. The announcement also underscores that Waymo and Uber are partners and rivals as robotaxi programs are introduced across the U.S. In the five cities where Waymo vehicles are currently available, it offers rides via its app in Phoenix, San Francisco and Los Angeles, while partnering with Uber in Phoenix, Austin and Atlanta. In the latter two markets, where Waymo rides are only available on the Uber app, Waymo is utilizing fleet services with Uber-backed partner Avomo. For its planned Miami launch next year, Waymo is providing the service through its app, but using operations from Uber-backed fleet management company Moove. Dallas will be a competitive robotaxi market with Uber and Lyft also planning to offer rides with their respective driverless technology partners. Uber is working with Austin-based Avride for a launch later this year, while Lyft plans to offer them with Intel Corp. spinoff Mobileye Global Inc. as soon as next year. Alphabet has been aggressively expanding Waymo's operations, which may also face increased competition from Tesla Inc. Earlier this month, Waymo more than doubled its service area in Austin, Tesla's home base. It also recently began testing in New York City and announced it will be doing the same in Philadelphia. (With assistance from Julia Love.) Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.

NYC mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdami addresses Midtown mass shooting from Uganda compound
NYC mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdami addresses Midtown mass shooting from Uganda compound

New York Post

timean hour ago

  • New York Post

NYC mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdami addresses Midtown mass shooting from Uganda compound

Democratic nominee for mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the mass shooting at a Park Avenue office building while at his family's private compound in Uganda where he is celebrating his wedding. 'I'm heartbroken to learn of the horrific shooting in midtown and I am holding the victims, their families, and the NYPD officer in critical condition in my thoughts,' Mamdani wrote in a post to X. 'Grateful for all of our first responders on the ground,' he concluded. Mamdani is currently in Uganda celebrating his nuptials at a heavily-guarded private compound in the wealthy Buziga Hill area outside the capital city Kampala.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store