State Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to codify energy storage goals outlined in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s climate action plan that bill supporters say is crucial to accompany more renewable energy generation coming online.

MANISTEE — The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is among the latest Native American tribes considering the creation of its own utility as a way to exercise sovereignty, diversify the tribe’s holdings, control more of its energy future and reduce costs.

BOYNE CITY — A northwestern Michigan electric cooperative and internet provider has secured a $262.8 million loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to build and improve 438 miles of electric grid infrastructure and 2,420 miles of fiber network.

LANSING — State regulators have approved an agreement between Consumers Energy and more than a dozen interest groups that will open a solar energy program to potentially thousands more homeowners and businesses.

A Midwest environmental law group is launching a “major new” initiative this year to work with utilities, municipalities and conservation groups to study the potential reuse of Michigan coal plants as public parkland as well as renewable energy production.

BATTLE CREEK — Davis Oil Co., a convenience store operator with 21 locations in West Michigan, has sold to Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Majors Management LLC. 

Two months ago, a group of environmental and clean energy groups issued a report examining how well Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s climate change action plan would actually meet its target of statewide net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

COVERT TWP. — While the recent denial of funding to reopen the Palisades nuclear power plant handicaps Michigan’s short-term emission-reduction goals, the state’s top energy regulator says new federal laws will create additional clean energy opportunities.

Michigan’s two largest investor-owned utilities say tax credit provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act will speed up their investments in solar, wind and battery storage and could lead them to owning more facilities that earn a return on those investments.

The global transition to electric vehicles and low-carbon transportation is well underway and creating a high-stakes competition among countries, and even states, to capture the associated manufacturing jobs.

The advanced transportation sector is driving Michigan’s clean energy job growth that has experienced steady increases after a pandemic-related downturn. 

Hope College is partnering with local officials to determine Ottawa County’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure needs in the coming years as automakers and utilities forecast increased vehicle adoption.

Over the past few years, corporate demand for cleaner energy to power their operations has directly led to the development of large-scale wind and solar projects across Michigan.

Dana Lowell and his co-founders at Lilypad Labs Inc. have set out to change the way we think about accessing water — an abundant resource in West Michigan that at times can be out of reach for some.

The wind and solar industries could fully replace the number of lost jobs at U.S. coal-fired power plants that are expected to close to meet emission-reduction targets, a recent University of Michigan study has found.

Multiple highway corridors through West Michigan would land high-speed electric vehicle charging stations in the coming years under a plan submitted last week for federal infrastructure funding.

PORT SHELDON TWP. — Consumers Energy’s recently approved plan to shut down the J.H. Campbell coal plant in Ottawa County in 2025 has caused a breach of contract dispute between the utility and another electricity provider.

COVERT TWP. — Southwest Michigan economic development officials are hoping to lure new employers to the region to help offset the job losses from the retirement of the Palisades nuclear power plant along Lake Michigan.

Michigan energy regulators have reopened a case involving Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline and the company’s request to build an underground tunnel in the Straits of Mackinac, calling for more information on the line’s current and future safety.

The Michigan Public Service Commission has approved Consumers Energy’s latest long-term energy plan that calls for eliminating its coal-fired power in 2025 while also speeding up the deployment of energy storage.

Two Michigan-based biofuel producers have received a total of nearly $8.7 million in federal relief to help recover from unexpected losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

HOLLAND — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appeared in Holland today to launch a partnership with an electric vehicle manufacturer, a nonprofit and energy companies to build out an electric vehicle charging network in state parks along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

In late March, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued a sweeping proposal that would require publicly traded companies to disclose climate change risks that are likely to affect their business, as well as their direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions.

The global energy transition that is underway to combat the worst effects of climate change can be encapsulated along roughly 125 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline.

GRAND RAPIDS — CMS Energy and Spectrum Health West Michigan are partnering on a new solar energy project that will help meet the power needs at a planned 80-bed subacute rehabilitation center on the city’s northeast side.

Michigan’s two major electric utilities that jointly own the Ludington Pumped Hydro Storage power plant along Lake Michigan claim the contractor hired for a $500 million upgrade of the facility has “delivered defective work” and is failing to meet contractual deadlines.

COVERT — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and state energy regulators now see a path to keep the Palisades Power Plant in Van Buren County open beyond its scheduled May 31 closing date in hopes of preserving hundreds of jobs and a major clean energy resource.

Major automakers, craft breweries and an outdoor recreation resort are among Michigan companies calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to finalize a statewide climate action plan that includes a carbon neutral target by 2050.

KENTWOOD — Certified B Corp and food producer The GFB: The Gluten Free Bar is now participating in a Consumers Energy program to offset its Kentwood production facility’s electricity usage entirely with renewable energy.

BOYNE CITY — Michigan’s largest member-owned electric utility is poised for new leadership as Shaun Lamp prepares to take over as president and CEO of Great Lakes Energy on March 19.

WALKER — Meijer Inc. has signed a 15-year contract to purchase output from a large-scale solar project in Texas under an agreement that will offset the retailer’s carbon emissions.