Michigan Political Week in Review: Jan. 11-17

It's that time of the year in Michigan when all that is talked about are cars and the Auto Show. I wish that was my situation, too. If it was, I could simply write about all the glowing reviews of the electric vehicles at the show and ignore the fact that the Democratic leadership in the State House came out in support of new coal plants this week. Fortunately, at least the Republicans weren’t as eager to put things in reverse, as the Snyder Administration announced it will carry on the legal battle against the Asian carp.

The Year of the Electric Vehicle

The ascension of the automobile in the early parts of the previous century not only freed people to travel with greater ease, but also dramatically cut down on the odorous “emissions” left on the streets by the horses drawing the carriages. You can think of electric vehicles (EVs) in the same way; freeing us all up from dealing with the fumes from the prior generation of transportation. As EV technology becomes more available, the decrease in pollution will be sizable --- as will the decrease in the amount of money you spend on $3.15-a-gallon gas.

The fewer amount of times we top off our tanks, the less oil we have to import from the Middle East. And have you seen the Volt? It’s the Car of the Year. Cutting our reliance on foreign oil has never looked so good.

More and more EVs are scheduled to hit showrooms during the coming year. Right now, the momentum behind these exciting cars is still in a relatively low gear. However, with smart assistance from our elected officials in Washington and Lansing, we can make their adoption smooth and accessible for all Americans. Please stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks and months on how you can help make Michigan the national leader in EV adoption.

House Democratic Leadership Makes Baffling Announcement on Coal

Our state has so much going for it right now in clean energy potential: A new turbine company with a supply chain entirely housed in Michigan, more than a dozen advanced battery manufacturing facilities, the fourth largest solar industry in the country, and even the potentially cleaner option of natural gas waiting for safe extraction under our feet. Instead, House Democratic leaders decided that coal was a better idea.

They are advocating for the construction of new coal plants, a technology with minimal job creation impact once the actual building is completed. Enter the auto analogy: It is as if the Minority Leader decided to pull up to the local BP station and demand a full-service fuel up of leaded gasoline.

First of all, like leaded gas, no coal plants are available right now for a good reason; all proposed coal plants in Michigan are either tied up in the courts or in bankers’ offices that don’t want to fund a retiring technology.

Second, it is unhealthy for surrounding communities and for Michigan’s general economy. Clean energy production brings new companies to the state, new manufacturing facilities, new research and development, a growing installation industry, and a potential maintenance sector. Coal? We spend $1.36 billion importing the stuff every year.

Attorney General to Continue the Fight Against Asian Carp

This week, Attorney General Bill Schuette announced that the state would continue to pursue legal action to keep the Asian carp out of the Great Lakes. While this is great news, it is hardly a stunning act of courage; the Asian Carp are about as welcome in Michigan as a Toyota at a UAW hall. Even so, it is a vital effort to pursue. This is not one of those problems that we can shelve and come back to later. Once the Asian carp are here --- and at this point it may just be a question of magnitude --- their impact will be disastrous.

Coming soon: The State of the State

Governor Snyder will be delivering his first State of the State address on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Given the consequences of the solutions he lays out during the speech (and given my job description) I will be tweeting live updates throughout the address. To follow along, please find me on Twitter at @rjwerder.

Until next week,

Ryan Werder

Political Director, Michigan League of Conservation Voters