LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – In November 2023, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed “historic clean energy legislation” that the state claimed made Michigan “a national leader in the fight against climate change.”

But the state is far from that, at least in terms of how it gets its electricity.

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Just 16.2% of the net electricity generated in Michigan comes from what is defined as “renewable energy.” That’s mostly wind and solar. The nationwide average is 31%, as of April 2025, according to the Energy Information Administration.

In 2020, Whitmer signed an executive order that stated, “The science is clear, and message urgent: the earth’s climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, and human activities are largely responsible for this change. Climate change already degrades Michigan’s environment, hurts our economy, and threatens the health and well-being of our residents, with communities of color and low-income Michiganders suffering most.”

The goal of that executive order was for the state to be “carbon neutral” by 2050. Carbon neutrality is defined as removing as much carbon from the environment as is emitted.

The MI Healthy Climate Plan 2024 report from the state calls for supporting strategies where 60% of the state’s electricity comes from renewable sources and phasing out the state’s coal-fired power plants by 2030.

Yet, in 2025, coal is providing 26.4% of the net electricity generated in the state. That’s the second largest supplier of energy, behind natural-gas at 38.5%.