I Pledge to Vote Solar
Solar Power for Michigan Families, Businesses and Communities.
We’re part of a powerful clean energy movement, and that movement continues to build. A whopping 90% of Michigan of voters say they want more solar energy. Together we are pushing lawmakers in Lansing to expand solar opportunity and energy freedom.
Unfortunately, DTE is once again proposing moves that will make it hard for customers to go solar. In fact, DTE’s latest proposal would hit new solar customers in the wallet to the tune of $500 per year.
That’s why we need policymakers in Lansing to act. The Michigan Public Service Commission will decide this spring whether to follow DTE’s lead, or whether to protect solar customers and build the solar economy in Michigan. We are working with experts, solar companies, faith leaders and community leaders across the state to persuade the agency to do the right thing. We are also asking Michigan’s new Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, to stand up for solar and insist that utilities give solar customers a fair deal. Finally, we are asking lawmakers to write to the agency and urge them to keep solar strong.
DTE IS BLOCKING SOLAR IN MICHIGAN
DTE is not just blocking rooftop solar for its customers, but also blocking development of larger-scale solar and battery storage that should be used to replace the dirty, dangerous, expensive and unreliable fossil fuel power plants that currently power the grid.
This March, DTE will file a long-term resource plan. Their first draft shows that they intend to delay any major solar investment until after 2025, instead relying largely on natural gas to power the grid. DTE’s plan is in contrast to Consumers Energy, which has decided to replace coal plants with solar resources. We will work over the course of 2019 to convince regulators to ensure that DTE isn’t missing the opportunity to save customers money and make the grid more reliable and affordable with new solar and battery storage.
Michigan Energy Freedom
Lawmakers in Lansing are now considering legislation to expand solar opportunity and energy freedom for Michiganders like you. Here’s what Michigan Energy Freedom will mean for you and your community:
Rooftop Solar
Community Solar
Michigan homes & businesses connected
low- and moderate-income families included
What Clean Energy Means for
Jobs
More than 11,000 Michiganders now work in solar and renewable energy – a growing sector that employs hundreds of thousands of Americans all across the country.
What Clean Energy Means for
customer savings
It’s not just Michiganders who “go solar” who save money with a clean electric grid. With no fuel costs and the plummeting price of wind and solar technology, renewables are among the cheapest source of energy in the US. That means lower costs for everyone.
What Clean Energy Means for
the environment
Air pollution from burning coal and gas is linked with asthma, cancer and heart and lung disease. Why settle for poisoning our communities when there are cleaner, more affordable, and emission-free options like wind and solar available today?
wkar michigan state university
Jan. 29, 2019 | Michigan residents support a transition from coal-fired energy to more solar and wind powered electricity, a new Michigan State University research report finds.
INSIDE CLIMATE neWS
Oct. 17, 2018 | Clean energy advocates say it is the most worrying attempt to undermine net-metering policies since a 2015 move by Nevada nearly killed the solar market there.
INSIDE CLIMATE neWS
Oct. 17, 2018 | Clean energy advocates say it is the most worrying attempt to undermine net-metering policies since a 2015 move by Nevada nearly killed the solar market there.
BRidge magazine
Aug. 23, 2018 | Michigan residents already pay the highest electricity rates in the Midwest. Over the last 10 years, residential electric rates have increased 44 percent, even as the average income in Michigan has dropped. While utility rates have gone up this last decade, the cost of solar power has decreased by 85 percent over the same period of time, making solar a cost-effective option for homeowners, businesses and schools to reduce their energy bill.
While solar technology becomes more affordable, policies like net metering that make it possible for individuals and business to use it are increasingly under attack.
Solar Power World
The Community Renewable Energy Gardens bill is among five separate bills in the bipartisan Energy Freedom Package, which taken together would significantly advance Michigan’s clean energy economy.
Crain's Detroit Business
Homeowners and businesses that invest in renewable energy would get more freedom from regulations that favor “monopoly utilities” under recently introduced bipartisan legislation.
Detroit News
Homeowners and businesses that invest in renewable energy would get more freedom from regulations that favor “monopoly utilities” under recently introduced bipartisan legislation.
Utility Dive
A bipartisan group of Michigan lawmakers has introduced a package of five bills aimed at expanding access to renewable energy resources and raising the amount that owners of distributed generation are paid for their excess energy production.
Detroit News
They argue relying more on solar and wind power and energy efficiency is less expensive and wouldn’t pollute communities.
Energy News Network
Clean energy advocates want regulators to wait for long-range plan before approving DTE natural gas plant proposal.
Michigan Radio
The company wants to build a $1-billion natural gas plant in East China Township in St. Clair County on a site where it currently operates a coal-burning power plant. Environmental groups oppose the plan.
Michigan Radio’s Tracy Samilton joins Doug Tribou to discuss the issues during this time of transition for the energy industry.
Crains Detroit Business
Opponents argue that DTE underestimated the future price of natural gas and failed to price out renewable energy resources and other electricity demand reduction strategies.
Detroit News
A recent analysis by BW Research Partnership concluded that an energy portfolio of solar, wind and efficiency could supply Michiganians with just as much electricity as DTE’s proposed natural gas plant, while creating 10 times more construction jobs and four times more permanent jobs along the way.
Energy News Network
DTE Energy wants to build a natural gas plant near Detroit that could become a customer of a pipeline co-owned by one of its affiliated companies.
Michigan Radio
Even utilities are dumping coal. In Michigan, DTE Energy wants to shut down three coal-burning power plants and replace them with a billion dollar natural gas plant.
But environmentalists think there's a better way.
