Governor Gretchen Whitmer is pushing for passage of a green energy plan that some are calling a Green New Deal in the state.
On Wednesday, her office released a promotional video in which Whitmer says proposals outlined in her What’s Next address will grow the state’s economy by shifting to renewable energy sources.
“By implementing our climate plan, we’ll save families $5.5 billion and help household energy costs by 2050,” Whitmer said. “We’ll create 160,000 jobs and bring home $14.7 in federal funding back home to Michigan.”
Democratic lawmakers are aiming to get several energy bills approved before the end of the session, which will be in the next week or so.
The plans include requiring Michigan to get 100% of its energy from carbon-free sources by 2040. Those sources would include solar, wind, nuclear, and hydropower.
There are benchmarks the state would have to meet between now and the 2040 deadline.
State Representative Pauline Wendzel has slammed the proposal, saying if the state relies on intermittent sources of energy, it will face grid instability.
