Update: Comprehensive energy reform unveiled with ReEnergize Michigan

In 2008, the state of Michigan passed its first renewable portfolio standard (RPS), which requires the major utility providers (Consumers and DTE) to produce 10% of their total energy with renewable sources every year by the end of 2015.  The legislation also included some important measures to increase energy efficiency in our state, and created a more holistic process for major utility providers to define energy demand and future planning. This process, called Integrated Resource Planning (IRP), is designed to ensure that energy demand in Michigan is clearly defined so that we are not building power plants that we don’t need. It also requires that the utilities demonstrate that their proposals are the most cost-effective, efficient, sensible approaches to providing energy to citizens (e.g., a new coal plant versus a wind farm).