Helping Our District Save on Energy, Produce Jobs

October is Energy Awareness Month, and this provides a great opportunity to share the news about Michigan’s new, comprehensive renewable energy legislation that my colleagues and I voted to pass last month. It stands to create thousands of jobs, save consumers billions of dollars in future energy costs, and move Michigan towards the use of cleaner and greener energy sources.

This package will create a 10% Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) that will encourage investment in Michigan’s renewable energy sector and create new manufacturing jobs in the wind and solar industries. It will save ratepayers $4.3 billion in avoided costs over the next twenty years by not paying for unnecessary new baseload plants, and includes specific safeguards to protect our most vulnerable citizens, such as those on fixed incomes and senior citizens, from large rate increases. It ensures that our energy needs will be met by energy produced in Michigan and by Michigan workers, establishing much needed energy independence from ever-increasing oil, gas and electricity prices. This legislation also creates energy efficiency standards to reduce energy used-and more importantly, wasted-ultimately keeping costs down.

Michigan has been identified by the United States Department of Energy as one of the top eight states in the nation for potential wind production, and one of four states that will create over 30,000 manufacturing jobs in the wind sector alone. And many of those jobs can be right here in the Wayne County area. We pioneered the industrial revolution with our automotive production, and we can return to the forefront again by building wind turbines and solar panels. Our manufacturing ingenuity and infrastructure have been the framework of our economy for generations, and the dedication of our workforce is unparalleled. All of that can be capitalized on to tap into the wind, water and sunlight that we have all around us to power our state.

Renewable energy manufacturers are investing billions of dollars in expanding their capacities every day, and Michigan already has superior tool and die, metal fabrication, and metal working capabilities and a highly-developed manufacturing supplier network. This new legislation opens the door for the state to become a major player in the rapidly-growing renewable energy sector.