TAKE ACTION: Tell Your Senator to Vote for Clean Energy

Updated October 28, 2016

The Senate is reviewing Michigan's energy laws RIGHT NOW! Will they decide to double down on dirty coal, fracked natural gas, nuclear and other polluting sources or will they move boldly toward a clean energy future? We have a chance to get more renewable energy and efficiency built into Michigan's energy policy but we need your help to make this happen.

Instructions
1) Click here and put your address into the form to find out who your state Senator is.
2) Review our talking points (below).
3) Click here to find your state Senator's office phone number.
4) Call your state Senator's office and use the talking points to tell them: vote NO on Senate Bills 437 and 438. If you call M-F 9am-5pm you'll likely get to speak with the legislator's staff. If not, please leave a voicemail for them.

Talking Points
[Introduce yourself, say where you live in their district]

I urge you to vote NO on SB 437-438 (sponsored by Sen. Mike Nofs and John Proos). These bills raise Michigan's renewable energy standard to 15% by 2021 which is not enough to seriously mitigate climate change and address our dependence on polluting fossil fuels. They also create a grid usage charge for net metering/distributed generation. I oppose this legislation because it would keep our electric grid powered by dirty, polluting, and unsustainable fossil fuels.

I want Michigan to hold utility companies accountable and require them to invest in renewable energy and efficiency. SB 437-438 will not accomplish this.

Here is want I want to see in Michigan's next energy policy: 
-Increase Michigan's renewable energy standard (not an unenforceable goal) to 30% by 2030.
-Increase Michigan's energy efficiency/optimization standard from 1% to 2% annually. 
-Remove the existing spending cap on Michigan's energy efficiency program.
-Ensure that "clean" or "renewable" energy is not redefined to include any fossil fuels, nuclear energy, or energy from incinerating wastes. 
-Ensure that customers are able to produce their own energy and are allowed to either use that energy themselves or sell it back to a utility company at full price, not a wholesale price.
-Lift the cap on net metering/distributed generation.
-Enable everyone to participate in community renewable energy projects.

Please vote NO on SB 437-438 in order to support clean air, clean water and clean energy.

Take Action: Tell Your Representative to Vote NO on Destructive Energy Legislation!

Updated November 14th, 2016

Instructions
1) Click here and put your address into the "Find a Representative" form to find out who your state Representative is.
2) Review our talking points (below).
3) Click here to find your state Representative's office phone number.
4) Call your state Representative's office and use the talking points to tell them: vote NO on Senate Bills 437-438. If you call M-F 9am-5pm you'll likely get to speak with the legislator's staff. If not, please leave a voicemail for them.

Talking Points
[Introduce yourself, say where you live in their district]

I urge you to vote NO on SB 437-438 (sponsored by Sen. Mike Nofs and John Proos). These bills raise Michigan's renewable energy standard to 15% by 2021 which is not enough to seriously mitigate climate change and address our dependence on polluting fossil fuels. They also create a grid usage charge for net metering/distributed generation which would truly harm the solar industry in Michigan. The bills also define polluting energy sources such as unsustainable biomass and waste incineration as "renewable". I oppose this legislation because it would keep our electric grid powered by dirty, polluting, and unsustainable fossil fuels.

I want Michigan to hold utility companies accountable and require them to invest in renewable energy and efficiency. SB 437-438 will not accomplish this.

Here is want I want to see in Michigan's next energy policy: 
-Increase Michigan's renewable energy standard (not an unenforceable goal) to 30% by 2030.
-Increase Michigan's energy efficiency/optimization standard from 1% to 2% annually. 
-Remove the existing spending cap on Michigan's energy efficiency program.
-Ensure that "clean" or "renewable" energy is not redefined to include any fossil fuels, nuclear energy, or energy from incinerating wastes. 
-Ensure that customers are able to produce their own energy and are allowed to either use that energy themselves or sell it back to a utility company at full price, not a wholesale price.
-Lift the cap on net metering/distributed generation and remove unreasonable grid charges.
-Enable everyone to participate in community renewable energy projects.

Please vote NO on SB 437-438 in order to support clean air, clean water and clean energy.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Energy Committee Members to Vote for Clean Energy

The House and Senate Energy Policy Committees are reviewing Michigan's energy laws this fall. Will they decide to double down on dirty coal, fracked natural gas, nuclear and other polluting sources or will they move boldly toward a clean energy future? We have a chance to get more renewable energy and efficiency built into Michigan's energy policy but we need your help to make this happen.

PLEASE review the talking points below, and then call any of these State Representatives and Senators on the Energy Committees and tell them to vote in support of renewable energy and efficiency:


Senate

Committee Leadership
Sen. Mike Noffs (R-Battle Creek) Committee Chair, (517) 373-2426
Sen. John Proos (R-St. Joseph) Majority Vice-Chair, (517) 373-6960
Sen. Hon-Yung Hopgood (D-Taylor) Minority Vice-Chair (517) 373-7800

Southeast Michigan
Sen. Joe Hune (R-Hamburg) (517) 373-2420
Sen. Dale Zorn (R-Monroe) (517) 373-3543
Sen. David Knezek (D-Dearborn Heights) (517) 373-0994
Sen. Steven Bieda (D-Warren) (517) 373-8360

Mid-Michigan
Sen. Ken Horn (R-Frankenmuth) (517) 373-1760
Sen. Mike Shirkey (R-Hillsdale) (517) 373-5932

West Michigan
Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker (R-Lawton) (517) 373-0793


House
Committee Leadership
Rep. Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) Committee Chair, (517) 373-0839
Rep. Gary Glenn (R-Midland) Majority Vice-Chair, (517) 373-1791
Rep. Bill LaVoy (D-Monroe) Minority Vice-Chair (517) 373-1530

Southeast Michigan
Rep. Wendell Byrd (D-Detroit) (517) 373-0144
Rep. LaTanya Garrett (D-Detroit) (517) 373-2276
Rep. Derek Miller (D-Warren) (517) 373-1772
Rep. Julie Plawecki (D-Dearborn Heights) (517) 373-0849
Rep. Robert Kosowski (D-Westland) (517) 373-2576
Rep. Jason Sheppard (R-Clayton) (517) 373-2617
Rep. Michael Webber (R-Rochester Hills) (517) 373-1773
Rep. Marilyn Lane (D-Fraser) (517) 373-0159
Rep. Bradford Jacobsen (R-Oxford) (517) 373-1798
Rep. Peter Lucido (R-Shelby Twp) (517) 373-0843

Mid-Michigan
Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Grand Ledge) (517) 373-0853
Rep. Brett Roberts (R-Clark Lake) (517) 373-1775
Rep. Rick Outman (R-Six Lakes) (517) 373-0834

West Michigan
Rep. Holly Hughes (R-Montague) (517) 373-3436
Rep. David Maturen (R-Marshall) (517) 373-1787

Northern Michigan
Rep. Scott Dianda (D-Calumet) (517) 373-0850
Rep. John Kivela (D-Marquette) (517) 373-0498
Rep. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) (517) 373-0156
Rep. Peter Pettalia (R-Presque Isle) (517) 373-0833
Rep. Triston Cole (R-Kewadin) (517) 373-0829

Please share this link with anyone who might be willing to help!

Thank you,

Mike Berkowitz

Legislative & Political Director

Sierra Club Michigan Chapter

109 E. Grand River Ave.

Lansing, MI 48906

Office: (517) 484-2372 Ext. 13 

Cell: (248) 345-9808

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Sierra Club's Clean Energy Talking Points

Sierra Club’s Recommendations [this is your main message to lawmakers]
· The Legislature should increase Michigan’s Renewable Energy Standard to 30% by 2030 and increase its efficiency standard to 2% annually. This would combat subsidies/costs of fossil fuels and promote meaningful progress in climate change mitigation.
· The legislature should ensure that customers are able to produce their own energy and sell it at full price.
· The legislature should enable everyone to participate in community renewable energy projects.
· The legislature should not weaken the definition of renewable/clean energy. Fossil fuels, nuclear energy, waste incineration, and pumped storage are not renewable energy sources. Energy sources that emit air pollution (including the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane), water pollution, and produce radioactive waste should not be considered “clean energy” in Michigan’s laws.

Support the Powering Michigan's Future legislation SB 295-297 and HB 4518-4519, HB 4055: increase Michigan’s renewable energy standard to 20% by 2022, gradually increase the energy optimization standard until reaching 2% annually in 2019 for electricity and 1.5% for natural gas, and eliminate the renewable energy surcharge.
Bill sponsors: Hoon-Yung Hopgood, David Knezek, Sam Singh, Marcia Hovey-Wright, Julie Plawecki.

Support the Bipartisan Energy Freedom legislation HB 4878-4881: remove barriers for businesses and individuals to generate their own energy and receive fair-value pricing. Enable community energy projects.
Bill sponsors: Gary Glenn, Ed McBroom, Scott Dianda, Jeff Irwin

Oppose SB 437-438 (Mike Nofs, John Proos): sunset Michigan’s Energy Optimization standard in 2019, repeal Michigan’s Renewable Energy Standard, establish a definition for “clean energy” that includes polluting fossil fuels, implement a voluntary green pricing program, eliminate net metering, destroy the distributed energy market, and replace standards with an Integrated Resource Planning process.

Oppose HB 4297-4298 (Aric Nesbitt): replace renewable energy/efficiency mandates with an Integrated Resource Planning process, establish an unenforceable 30% renewable/efficiency goal, and remove sustainability criteria for wood/tree biomass.

Background Information

In 2008, the Michigan Legislature passed the Clean, Renewable, and Efficient Energy Act (Public Act 295).
· The law put in place a Renewable Energy Standard (RES) that requires Michigan’s utility companies to generate 10% of their electricity from clean and renewable sources by 2015.
· The law also created an Energy Efficiency Program which requires Michigan’s utility companies to help their customers use energy more efficiently by 1% every year.

PA 295 of 2008 has been an unparalleled success, but we need to do more.
· Since 2008 we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in the cost of renewable energy, with the latest wind energy contracts coming in at less than half the cost of new coal and competitive with natural gas.[1]
· All major utility companies in Michigan have met the 10% renewable energy goal and 1% efficiency goal and have reduced/eliminated surcharges to pay for it. Despite overwhelming success, utility companies are pushing to end these standards and replace them with an Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) process. States with an IRP but no RES or efficiency standard always result in less renewable energy and efficiency than states with standards.[2]
· Michigan’s Energy Efficiency program has provided the cheapest source of new power (over 6 times cheaper than coal) by shaving off demand for energy. For every $1 invested in energy efficiency, customers are saving more than $3.55.1 However, a spending cap in the 2008 law on the energy efficiency program prevents utilities from meeting their full customers’ demand.
· According to the Michigan Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) 2013 report, Michigan could achieve a RES of 30% without technical difficulties or increased costs.[1]
· PA 295 defined renewable energy to include solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, and landfill gas.

Using more renewable energy and energy efficiency will reduce pollution, mitigate climate change, and give Michigan cleaner air and water.
· Fossil fuels create $523 billion of domestic public health and environmental costs annually and also receive over $500 billion in annual subsidies from our government.[3]
· Increasing our use of renewable energy and energy efficiency will give us cleaner air, protect our Great Lakes, reduce illness, and save lives.
· Michigan’s coal plants emit dangerous levels of toxic pollutants like mercury, arsenic and chromium. Coal plant pollution also triggers 68,000 asthma attacks and causes 180 premature deaths every year in Michigan.[4]
· Coal plants are the biggest point-source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, exacerbating climate disruption.[5]
· Natural gas is not an acceptable alternative because Fracking threatens our water and the extraction/pipeline process releases methane, an extremely potent greenhouse gas emission.[5]

Increasing Michigan’s use of renewable energy and energy efficiency will create jobs and spark investment in our state.
· Renewable energy and efficiency are strong economic drivers, attracting investment and creating jobs that can’t be shipped out of state or overseas.
· Expanding our use of clean energy will build on our manufacturing strength and will allow us to retool and reopen closed manufacturing facilities.
· Michigan currently spends $24 billion per year importing fuel into the state.[6] 100% of our fuel for coal and nuclear power comes from out-of-state, 99% of our petroleum, and 80% of our natural gas as well.[7]
· Solar, wind and energy efficiency have no fuel costs and don’t send our money out of state.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency help rein in rising energy costs.
· Moving to clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency will make electricity costs more affordable for Michigan families, who recently experienced double-digit rate increases because of the state’s reliance on coal, nuclear and natural gas imported from other states.
· Renewable energy costs less than all other forms of energy. While the costs of new coal and nuclear energy range from $108-$133 per MWh and natural gas averages $67 per MWh, wind energy costs between $43-59 per MWh, while energy efficiency costs $11 per MWh.[1]

¹MPSC Report on the Implementation of PA 295, February, 2015 and “Readying Michigan to Make Good Energy Decisions – Renewable Energy”, September 2013, http://michigan.gov/documents/energy/re-execsumm-draft_434479_7.pdf

²ACEEE http://aceee.org/blog/2014/12/irp-vs-eers-there%E2%80%99s-one-clear-winner-
³International Monetary Fund http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2015/NEW070215A.htm and Harvard Study on the Life Cycle Cost of Coal http://www.chgeharvard.org/sites/default/files/epstein_full%20cost%20of%20coal.pdf

⁴Michigan Environmental Council Report of Public Health Impacts of Coal-Fired Plants in Michigan, 2011

⁵US Environmental Protection Agency Website

⁶ACEEE http://www.mwalliance.org/sites/default/files/uploads/ACEEE_2010_Kushler%20Presentation%20MI%20TLR%20October%202010.pdf

⁷US Energy Information Website

Sign Up for Citizen Lobby Day - Wednesday, May 6

Sierra Club's 2015 Spring Lobby Day!

Wednesday, May 6  •  8:45am - 3:30pm  •  Lansing

Sign Me Up!

Lobby Day will convene at the Central United Methodist Church in Lansing at 8:45am. The church is located at 215 N. Capitol Ave., Lansing, at the corner of Capitol & Ottawa, just across the street from the Capitol Building. We’ll be educating lawmakers about Clean Energy and Hydraulic Fracturing.

We have lots of new lawmakers to educate about critical environmental issues that YOU care about. All lobbying takes place in teams of 2 to 3 people. Each team will be led by an experienced Lead Lobbyist who knows their way around the Capitol and will lead the meetings. No experience is necessary. Please join us by signing up here.

Use the links on the right side of this page to navigate to the maps, agenda and the background information you need for a successful Lobby Day.

Lobby Day is $10, which is payable at the event by check or cash. This covers your lunch and snacks in the morning. REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS Friday, May 1st AT 5PM.  SIGN UP NOW!

For more information, contact Mike.Berkowitz@sierraclub.org or 248-345-9808.

Already signed up for lobby day? Start reviewing the materials we will be lobbying your lawmakers on.

Our group of amazing volunteer lobbyists from all over the state at our last Lobby Day! 

Protect Michigan's Great Lakes - Vote NO on HB 4246

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

Protect Michigan's Great Lakes - Vote NO on HB 4246

Michigan is surrounded by twenty percent of the earth's fresh surface water supply. But House Bill 4246 would weaken protection for the Great Lakes and all aspects of Michigan’s environment. 

This bill would prohibit the Governor and his/her agencies from issuing any rule that is more stringent than federal law. In effect it says there is nothing special about Michigan compared with any other state in the union and takes away the Governor's power to protect clean air and water.

Complete the form below in order to send a letter to your lawmakers asking them to vote NO on House Bill 4246!

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THIS ACTION

Ask Lawmakers to Move Forward for Clean Energy

CLICK HERE TO TAKE ACTION

Ask Lawmakers to Move Forward for Clean Energy

Michigan residents should be entitled to clean air to breathe, clean water to drink and affordable electricity. Depending on dirty fossil fuel energy sources like coal threatens the air we breathe and our Great Lakes, rivers and streams. In addition to harming our health, coal-generated electricity is expensive—coming in at almost twice the cost of recent wind contracts.  Clean energy such as wind, solar and energy efficiency are the solution to these problems.

Complete the form below in order to send a letter to your lawmakers asking for clean energy!

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THIS ACTION

Tell Legislators: Protect Our Water From Fracking!

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Tell Legislators: Protect Our Water From Fracking!

Fracking is a growing practice used in drilling for natural gas that threatens Michigan's water and air.Fracking has caused thousands of incidents of environmental contamination across the country.

Michigan can't afford to get this one wrong. Half of Michigan residents get their drinking water from groundwater wells.  Tens of billions of dollars a year are pumped into the economy by water-dependent industries like fishing, boating and tourism, and countless jobs would be lost if our waters were contaminated.

Even though fracking practices have evolved significantly and become much more dangerous, our laws and safeguards have failed to keep up. As stewards of one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water, we must act to protect its water resources and our Pure Michigan legacy.

Urge your State legislators to pass legislation to stop fracking and to update our weak environmental protections!

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THIS ACTION