Energy Policy Archives - GreeningDetroit.com

November 14 2016

MI Senate Passes Energy Policy Bills in Lame Duck

Cathleen Francois Green News You Can Use e Michigan Energy Efficiency Contractors Association, Energy Policy, Government policy, MEECA, Michigan Energy Efficiency Contractors Association, Michigan Senate

MEECA_Entire_Color The state Senate passed Senate Bills 437 & 438 on Thursday 11/10/16 during the first day of the lame duck session. As reported in our October Newsletter, MEECA’s lobbying efforts helped to move the original proposal from eliminating the energy optimization programs to now include the following requirements:

35% of electrical generation to come from a combination of energy efficiency and renewable energy by 2025 (up from current 1% energy efficiency and 10% renewable requirement that has already been achieved)
15% of electrical generation to come from renewable energy through 2021
Financial incentives spending caps at the lower of 20% of net cost reduction for customer (current 25%) or 25% of program spending (current 15%)
Creation of new Integrated Resource Plan process requiring utilities to submit multi-year generation and energy efficiency plans to the Michigan Public Service Commission.

Michigan House Energy Policy Committee Votes Unanimous Support for Energy Waste Reduction

In a rare show of bi-partisan cooperation, the Michigan House Energy Policy Committee voted 25-0 for an amendment that removes the spending cap on utility-based energy waste reduction programs and paves the way forward for expansion of Michigan’s energy efficiency industry.

Introduced by Rep. Bill LaVoy (D-Monroe), this amendment reverses earlier versions of energy bills introduced that proposed to end Michigan’s Energy Optimization programs.More