25 x 2025 A Good Goal But Not Good For The State Constitution.

We C.A.R.E.

The Northern Michigan Regional Chamber Alliance has joined The CARE for Michigan coalition. Like the Alliance the coalition supports reliable, clean, and affordable energy for Michigan families and businesses.

• We support the current energy law, which requires energy providers to generate 10-percent of Michigan’s electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar by 2015, and that law is working.

The Alliance opposes efforts to alter the state constitution to inject an arbitrary 25-percent renewable energy standard by 2025. We believe this is a good goal to set and percentage goals should be legislated not be put in the constitution.

Why?

• The proposal would lock the 25 percent renewable standard into the state’s constitution, which means it would have to be implemented regardless of the cost to Michigan residents and businesses.
• The proposal prohibits the purchasing of renewable power from other states regardless of cost to generate or transport. *If it is cheaper to produce elsewhere we couldn’t buy it and apply it to this requirement.
• The proposal caps renewable costs at 1%. We believe this is an unattainable cap and will shift costs to the production of base load energy. *It has to be paid no matter the real costs. *renewable energy like wind and solar are currently heavily subsidized.  Those subsidies are unpredictable remove them and the cost will have to go up.
• Putting caps and percentages in the state Constitution is a bad practice. A business owner or home owner would not cap or place mandated goals on how they are going to conduct operations or home expenses: Why? Things change, technology changes, costs change, the economy changes.

At a recent press conference Doug DeYoung stated why the Alliance took this position on 25×2025.

“25 % renewable is a good goal and should be a legislative goal….We are not here to talk about renewable energy not being good for Michigan…we support renewable energy where it makes sense and where it works…what this mandate means for Michigan is that it will go into the state constitution… and Michigan will have to produce this energy in the state whether it’s cost effective and/or efficient for residents…we support renewable energy and it is important part of future but locking into mandate that could cost residents more, businesses more and cost us jobs and that is not good for Michigan”