LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In April, Michigan Senator Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) and 13 other Democrat senators introduced Senate Bill 271 which amends the 2008 Clean and Renewable Energy and Energy Waste Reduction Act.

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In the new legislation, it removes landfill gas, biomass and fuel produced from waste as renewable energy resources and adds nuclear energy. It also strengthens renewable energy requirements for providers of electric so they can achieve a 100% renewable energy portfolio by the year 2035.

Although Michigan energy companies would have to have that 100% renewable portfolio only 12 short years from now, nuclear would not be considered “renewable” until 2035.

This mandate was pursued by the Democrats in the past in 2022, with almost identical legislative language, but didn’t move forward while they were a minority party.

In 2035 and beyond, Michigan energy companies must use approved nuclear energy according to the legislation which says “A renewable energy plan starting in 2035 credits approved nuclear energy toward the clean energy requirement or renewable portfolio plan.”

But before 2035, nuclear isn’t “renewable” in the eyes of the Democrats in the Senate as the legislation says, “Renewable energy resource does not include petroleum, nuclear, natural gas, or coal. A renewable energy resource comes from the sun or from thermal inertia of the earth and minimizes the output of toxic material in the conversion of the energy…”

As expected, the transition to renewables will allow the utilities to get costs recovered i.e. they can raise rates to consumers to cover compliance.

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This legislation was part of a seven-bill package introduced by the Democrats after announcing their MI Clean Energy Future Plan. Michigan Senator Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) said in a statement that the plan is “a bill package to help support ongoing efforts to make Michigan a leader in creating an environmentally sustainable future.”

The objectives of the plan include: to clean the electrical grid to get rid of coal; reduce energy waste; expand the MI Public Service Commission’s scope to cover climate, health, equity and affordability; codify Michigan’s PA 116 program to allow solar operations while preserving farmland; adopt clean fuels standards and repair and decarbonize homes and businesses.

This plan also goes hand in hand with Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan that has commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the state and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

SB 271 was referred to the Senate Energy Committee.