‘Electrify everything’: Rural cooperatives can help decarbonize the power grid, advocates say
Ric Evans has yet to find the electric stove he wants to install in his rural Northern Michigan home, but everything else inside is powered by electricity, including the water heater and an air source heat pump.
Developers increasingly weigh adding solar installations to projects
GRAND RAPIDS — The 308 solar panels installed atop St. James Apartments and Townhomes will help reduce electricity costs included in the rents for residents in the project’s 36 affordable housing units.
Energy Outlook: Solar and electric vehicles on Michigan’s horizon
The beginnings of a large-scale solar power build-out, bolstering electric vehicle infrastructure and preparing a power grid of the future are among Michigan’s top energy-related trends expected in 2020.
Michigan among leaders in clean energy jobs, but advocates push for more policy change
Michigan ranks among the top Midwestern states for clean energy jobs, but environmental advocates say further policy changes are needed to push the state from “good” to “great.”
Whitmer, MPSC initiative prioritizes grid modernization in clean energy transition
Clean energy advocates praised a Thursday announcement by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer highlighting the need to modernize the state’s power grid as it shifts from coal-fired power.
State regulators issue energy assessment amid transition from coal
The polar vortex early this year strained Michigan’s energy supply as the state experiences an “unprecedented shift” in the way it produces power and relies more heavily on natural gas and renewables, according to state regulators.
Utility agreement marks shift for future solar energy projects
A settlement agreement approved in September between Consumers Energy and multiple solar energy developers triggers a large-scale buildout across the Lower Peninsula, but also marks a shift in the way the utility will contract for solar power in the future.
Holland leads with energy financing program, but work remains
HOLLAND — A financing program in Holland that helps residents pay for energy efficiency and renewable energy upgrades remains one of the only such programs in Michigan, and could be a model for more to come.
Consumers Energy plans large-scale solar buy in Calhoun County
Consumers Energy announced plans Thursday to purchase a majority of the output from a large-scale solar project in Calhoun County, among the first deals under the utility’s shift to renewable energy.
Grand Rapids explores potential for solar power at 8 sites
GRAND RAPIDS — City officials are reviving plans for a solar project at a former Grand Rapids landfill as the city sorts through broader questions about potential generation at seven other city-owned properties.
