Michigan Moves Toward 100% Renewable Generation by 2040

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) has signed into law a package of bills that requires the state's power utilities to transition to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 and streamlines permitting for utility-scale clean energy projects. Industrial Info is tracking about $28 billion worth of renewable-generation projects in Michigan, including $2.8 billion worth that have a medium-to-high (70% or higher) likelihood of beginning construction as currently scheduled.

Included in the clean energy package is Senate Bill 271, which establishes a 100% clean energy standard for Michigan by 2040, as well as a goal of 50% by 2030 and 60% by 2035. Meanwhile, House Bill 5120 and House Bill 5121 authorize the Michigan Public Service Commission to streamline permitting for clean energy "the same way they can currently do so for other sources of energy," according to a press release announcing the governor's signing.

The package also includes bills to improve energy efficiency and waste reduction programs, among other efforts.

In late September, a group of 15 businesses--including the U.S. arm of IKEA (Delft, Netherlands) and Siemens (Munich, Germany)--signed a letter in support of a 100% clean energy standard, according to Michigan Advance.

However, there are mixed feelings regarding the new standard. The Michigan Chamber of Commerce (MI Chamber) "voiced strong concerns that the bills will lead to the premature retiring of existing power generation systems, that will then need to be paid for by industrial and commercial customers," according to the organization's website. The MI Chamber added: "However, also signed into law were bills that would reduce regulatory barriers to renewable energy facilities in the state. The MI Chamber supported these bills as needed reforms to the current local control process that has led to dozens of stalled projects throughout the state and millions of dollars from private developers being sidelined."

Among the renewable-generation projects under construction in Michigan being tracked by Industrial Info is the construction of D.E. Shaw Group's (New York, New York) River Fork solar plant in Albion, in Calhoun County, which will utilize photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on a single-axis tracking system to provide 149 megawatts (MW) of solar generation. The project is expected to wrap up in early 2024. In the final commissioning stage is NextEra Energy Incorporated's (NYSE:NEE) (Juno Beach, Florida) 100-MW, $125 million Cereal City PV Solar Farm near Marshall Township, also in Calhoun County.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can read detailed information on the River Fork and Cereal City projects.

One of the renewable projects under development is attributed to a 50:50 joint venture between Apex Clean Energy (Charlottesville, Virginia) and ESA Solar (Maitland, Florida): the Coldwater solar-plus-storage project in Branch County, which aims to provide 150 MW of solar power and features a 100-MW battery energy storage system. The project is expected to kick off in April 2024, with completion a year later. Click here to read the project report.

Expected to kick off by the end of 2024 is the construction of leading Michigan utility DTE Energy Company's (NYSE:DTE) (Detroit, Michigan) roughly 20-MW solar facility at a capped landfill site in Ann Arbor. According to a municipal website, the facility will be able to power about 5,000 homes in the area. Subscribers can read a detailed project report.

Brownfield solar projects are on the rise in the U.S. For more information, see July 19, 2023, article - Brownfield Solar Projects Gain Ground in U.S.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Power Project Database can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).