Michigan Democrats choose climate alarmism over the state’s economy
Kaylee McGhee White
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Democrats are nothing if not masochists.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed sweeping energy legislation this week that will effectively kill the state’s top industry, claiming all the while that the bill is a “huge win for Michigan families, for Michigan businesses, and for future generations of Michiganders,” who will soon find themselves out of jobs.
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The Clean Energy Future Plan mandates that Michigan reach a 100% clean energy threshold by 2040. By 2030, the state must be 50% of the way there. For comparison, Michigan’s previous climate laws required utility providers in the state to achieve a 15% renewable energy standard by 2029.
The bill also gives the Michigan Public Service Commission, a state body, the authority to override local decisions blocking wind and solar projects — a provision local jurisdictions opposed almost unanimously.
The immediate effect of the law will be an inevitable jump in energy prices. The Mackinac Center for Public Policy estimates the average monthly electric bill will cost nearly double the current average over the next few years. The reliability of Michigan’s energy grid will also take a hit, the think tank warned, meaning Michigan families could be left with rolling blackouts during the coldest months of the year when heat is not just a luxury but a necessity.
Further down the road, Michigan could see its entire economy collapse. The state still relies heavily on the auto industry, which contributes more than $300 billion to the state every year and employs more than 1 million Michiganders — 20% of the state’s workforce. It’s also an industry that depends on traditional forms of energy, such as oil and gas, despite efforts to transition to cleaner alternatives.
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In fact, just last month GM and Ford announced they would have to cut back significantly on the production of electric vehicles despite massive subsidies from the federal government. Ford is postponing $12 billion of spending and investment on EVs and has halted a $3.5 billion partnership with Chinese energy behemoth Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. to build a new battery plant in Michigan.
In other words, the sustainable energy future Democrats are forcing upon the state is not at all sustainable for the companies that have been Michigan’s lifeblood for generations. The “Big Three” have already begun moving production out of the state to redder parts of the country with better tax benefits and labor laws. Whitmer has just removed any last incentive for them to stay.