Democrats Call For Increased Renewable Energy Standard

Michigan Democrats are calling for increasing the state’s renewable energy standard as Republicans push to eliminate the standard altogether.

Democrats, Representative Bill LaVoy of Monroe and Senator Hoon-Yung Hopgood of Taylor, who each sit on their respective chambers’ energy committees, have proposed raising the renewable standard from 10 percent by 2015 to 20 percent by 2022.

LaVoy says through 2014, renewable energy projects have brought nearly $3 billion in investment to Michigan, and utilities are on track to meet the 10% goal required in current law. He says as long as renewable energy remains economically viable, the percentage of power generation should increase.

Meantime, Gongwer News Service reports the Republican chairs of the two energy committees, Representative Aric Nesbitt of Lawton and Senator Mike Nofs of Battle Creek, support ending the renewable standard in favor of a clean energy standard that would incorporate natural gas.