• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Development
  • Food+Drink
  • Things To Do
  • Doing Good
  • Lifestyle
  • Arts
  • History
  • Lists

Daily Detroit

What To Know And Where To Go In Southeast Michigan

Header Right

  • PODCAST
  • NEWSLETTER
  • SUPPORT
  • ARCHIVE
  • CONTACT
  • LISTEN ON:
  • APPLE PODCASTS
  • SPOTIFY
  • GOOGLE PODCASTS
  • STITCHER
  • Submit An Idea To Daily Detroit
  • Get Your Daily Detroit Newsletter
  • Listen To The Daily Detroit Podcast
  • Contact Us
  • LISTEN ON:
  • APPLE PODCASTS
  • SPOTIFY
  • GOOGLE PODCASTS
  • STITCHER
Governor Rick Snyder at Mackinac. Daily Detroit file photo.

Governor Sets New Goals For More Energy From Renewables, Less From Coal In Michigan

You are here: Home / Green / Governor Sets New Goals For More Energy From Renewables, Less From Coal In Michigan

Mar 13, 2015 by Ardelia Lee

Michigan must set attainable energy goals and look towards renewable energy sources to keep energy prices down and avoid widespread outages, said Michigan Governor Rick Snyder in a special message on energy today.

The state’s new goal is to get 30 to 40 percent of its energy from renewable sources and reduced waste by 2025.

“Decisions we make in the coming years will keep energy more affordable and available through a variety of sources while we continue being good stewards of our lakes, air and land. We also must ensure that Michigan — not Washington, D.C. — will determine how we move forward, transitioning from the sources of yesterday to newer, cleaner methods,” Snyder said.

Michigan’s previous efforts to reduce energy waste across the state have created $2.5 billion in saving for Michiganders, according to the Governor’s office. Snyder believes that we can build on that progress to double that number.

On average, Michiganders use 38 percent more energy than the rest of the United States. Meanwhile, energy bills in the state are about six percent higher than the national average.

Ten coal power plants are expected to retire in the coming years, creating an energy capacity problem. Despite the plants’ retirement, the demand for energy in Michigan continues to grow.

This creates an energy challenge statewide, and Snyder has decided on renewable energy to help alleviate the problem of energy shortage. He presented a plan that he says will see Michigan through at least the next decade of energy decision-making.

According to Snyder, his plan, which is outlined below, focuses on four pillars. Let’s step through them quickly.

Adaptability – Michigan is one of the 10 states most-dependent on coal. The state must adapt to the loss of coal power plants and begin using cleaner energy.

Affordability – Reducing the amount of wasted energy statewide will save money for businesses and families in addition to lessening the demand on Michigan’s power grid. Snyder has encouraged a discussion with the Legislature about statewide programs to help people replace older, inefficient items like furnaces.

Reliability – The reliability of power is an important topic that Snyder plans to address through deployment of “smart” meters. These new meters will help utilities locate outages and restore power more quickly.

Environmental protection – Michigan should work towards reducing pollution, mercury emissions, and airborne particles.

“We must work to ensure our energy portfolio should continue to get better over time in controlling pollutants. When you replace a coal plant with a natural gas plant, you have essentially eliminated mercury as a pollutant from that plant. Chemicals that lead to acid rain — SOx and NOx — also drop enormously when you replace coal with natural gas,” said Snyder’s office in an attached ‘action plan.’ “Particulate matter, which is linked to heart and lung diseases — like asthma — is reduced through natural gas use instead of coal, but large reductions come when you rely more on our cleanest sources, like waste elimination and wind or solar power.”

Snyder believes that the energy agenda for Michigan must be aggressive and attainable in order to change the state’s future, and he is preparing for discussions and debate with the Legislature. A law from 2008 required that all of the utilities in the state use 10 percent renewable energy by 2015. That goal was met, but the old regulations will expire this December.

The reason this is mentioned now by the Governor is that without new legislation, these projections for 2025 may not become a reality, and the 2008 regulations will sunset.

FacebookTweetLinkedInEmail

Filed Under: Green, News Tagged With: Coal, Electricity, green, Michigan, Michigan Energy, NAtural Gas, Renewable Energy, Renewables, Solar, Wind

Be In The Know In About 20 Minutes A Day

“Thanks for your excellent coverage! Daily Detroit is part of my morning routine and as a lifelong metro area resident I appreciate your focus.”

– Jessica

Be like Jessica and keep up on the news, stories, and people that are pushing the Motor City forward on the Daily Detroit podcast. Free in your podcast app of choice:

Apple logoGoogle logoSpotify logoAmazon logoPocketcasts logoStitcher logoOvercast logoIheartradio logoRss logo
Previous Post: « Detroit Ranks 2nd In Nation For Sports Travel
Next Post: WATCH: Giving The Classics Of Coneys And Detroit-Style Pizza Their Due »

Primary Sidebar

Support the businesses & orgs that keep us on the air!

Fusion Marketing

Media funded by listeners serves our listeners. Become a member, get swag!

Support this podcast

PODCAST: U of M’s COVID-19 Problems; Campbell In As Lions Coach, Stafford Out As QB w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: First Look At Coffee Down Under; Detroit Property Values Up; 5 Things To Know In Metro Detroit

PODCAST: Kwame Kilpatrick Will Walk Free; Metro Detroit Road Project Update

PODCAST: 6 Things To Know Around Detroit Plus Sports w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: The End Of Auto Shows As We Knew Them Plus NACTOY Winners w/ Eric Trytko

PODCAST: 7 Things To Know Around Metro Detroit

PODCAST: WTF Happened in Washington w/ Steve Friess

PODCAST: 7 Things To Know Around Metro Detroit

PODCAST: College players can get paid in Michigan; Free beer for Lions fans and more w/ Fletcher Sharpe

PODCAST: The Real Story of Detroit’s “Fist” – The Monument to Joe Louis

Get our newsletter covering what to know & where to go in Metro Detroit in your inbox!


Footer

Popular Topics

Belle Isle Brush Park Business Cars CBD City 5 City Of Detroit Corktown Crowdfunding Culture Development Doing Good Eastern Market East Riverfront Education Events Featured Ferndale Food + Drink Fun Green Hamtramck History Lifestyle Lists Macomb County Midtown New Center News Newsflash Oakland County Opinion Podcasts Policy Royal Oak Shopping Southwest Detroit Sports Staff Picks Tech Things To Do Transit University District Video Wayne County

On Social Media

Visit Us On TwitterVisit Us On InstagramVisit Us On FacebookVisit Us On LinkedinCheck Our FeedVisit Us On Youtube
  • Submit An Idea To Daily Detroit
  • Get Your Daily Detroit Newsletter
  • Listen To The Daily Detroit Podcast
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 · Daily Detroit · 1420 Washington Blvd, Suite 301 · Detroit, MI 48226

Share this ArticleLike this article? Email it to a friend!

Email sent!