Displaying items tagged: Michigan Environmental Council

Two months ago, a group of environmental and clean energy groups issued a report examining how well Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s climate change action plan would actually meet its target of statewide net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

A group of business owners and environmental and housing advocates are calling on the state to invest $1.65 billion in affordable, energy efficient homes as the Whitmer administration also pursues a statewide housing plan.

Michigan is seeking more than $30 million in federal funding to accelerate the cleanup of hundreds of abandoned oil and gas wells across the state.

A coalition of energy businesses and clean energy advocates is calling for a $600 million investment of federal pandemic relief funding into clean transportation initiatives.

Michigan’s mandates for renewable power and energy efficiency programs — first set in 2008 and slightly increased in 2016 — are scheduled to level off this year, although it may make little difference as the clean energy transition rolls on under market forces.

Michigan’s statewide building codes are set for an update this year. While there could be some new energy efficiency measures added, the codes are far behind where they should be to address climate change, according to some local design firms and environmental advocates.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order in late September creating a long-term climate change plan calling for the state to be carbon neutral by 2050.

JACKSON — Consumers Energy has agreed to expand a solar energy program that advocates say is crucial to continue the sector’s growth in Michigan.

Anewly formed partnership involving six outdoor recreation and conservation groups wants to protect and maintain Michigan’s public lands for generations to come.

The latest attempt to expand Michigan’s successful bottle deposit law comes as communities across the state struggle to maintain recycling programs amid overseas economic pressures.

The beginnings of a large-scale solar power build-out, bolstering electric vehicle infrastructure and preparing a power grid of the future are among Michigan’s top energy-related trends expected in 2020.

Clean energy advocates praised a Thursday announcement by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer highlighting the need to modernize the state’s power grid as it shifts from coal-fired power. 

CENTREVILLE — As consumer demographics shift and the economy slows, smaller products have become a big consideration for recreational vehicle manufacturer Viking Products Inc. 

State officials in Grand Rapids on Wednesday touted the economic benefits of outdoor recreation, a sprawling statewide sector encompassing major industries like manufacturing and tourism.

Business and clean energy advocates are aligned in support of state legislation that clarifies the tax-exempt status of small-scale renewable energy systems.

Citing onerous and biased rule-making functions at the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce has long sought to reform the agency’s regulatory process.

Detroit-based DTE Energy is in the middle of a five-year, $2.5 billion gas and electric infrastructure upgrade that will have the utility investing millions into projects in West Michigan.