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Farmers and landowners in the midwest have come under attack from fossil fuel’s facebook disinformation machine, which has organized intimidation, harrassment and threats against farmers and local officials who wish to site clean energy. Now, following similar initiatives in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois, Michigan has set state level clean energy siting standards, and gone a way further with a 2040 goal for decarbonizing the state’s grid. Biggest hurdle was overcome last night with an affirmative, party line vote in the Michigan State house. Senate expected to approve next week, and Governor Whitmer, who was a prime mover in this effort, will sign. Big win for a large, ideologically diverse network of clean energy advocates. This is a big deal.
Legislation aimed at lowering Michigan’s energy-related greenhouse has emissions passed the Michigan House of Representatives late Thursday night.
After around 13 hours of meeting and voting, lawmakers approved bills that would require utilities to draw power using only “clean energy” sources by 2040.
The legislation would differentiate between renewable and clean energy. Under it, renewable energy sources like wind or solar would have to make up at least 60% of a utility’s energy portfolio.
The rest of the portfolio could be made up of “clean energy systems” that include sources like nuclear and natural gas using 90% carbon capture and storage technology.
Representative Jenn Hill (D-Marquette) said times are changing for Michigan and its energy landscape.
“If we’re powered by the sun, or powered by the wind, we are not sending money back out to Wyoming to pay for coal, or to Texas to pay for that natural gas,” Hill said in a floor speech.
Each bill in the clean energy package passed along party lines.
Fossil fuel interests were pulling out the stops to spread disinformation about the proposals, notably the fossil fuel and Koch funded Mackinac Center “Think tank”, based in Midland.
For many of the Farmers and Landowners I’ve spoken to around the midwest, this is something that should have been done from the beginning.
Sadly, Republicans voted against clean energy as a block. I believe much of the antipathy was directed toward Governor Whitmer, to keep a rising political star from getting a high profile win. But we still saw the tired talking points of climate denial trotted out on the legislative floor.
Ogles: We may have had a hot summer but I just went trick or treating with my kids and the low that evening was 29 degrees so temperatures change. Temperatures have been changing for a millennia pic.twitter.com/W2qiL2Fp9b
Also involved, the well connected, well funded Mackinac Center, one of a much larger network of fossil funded “Think Tanks” across the country. Mackinac pulled out the stops with disinformation on social media in the run-up to the vote. Jason Hayes is their “energy expert”.
Meanwhile, farmers and landowners showed up before the legislature to tell about the campaign of intimidation they have weathered, trying to save their farms.
Landowners Kevin Heath and Theresa Himes in a Lansing, MI Senate office building.
