By Kevin Lavery
Solar panels. Image: Flickr, Oregon Department of Transportation
Michigan is grappling with important questions relating to energy. Current State talks with Consumers Energy spokesman Dan Bishop and Sarah Mulkoff of the Michigan Environmental Council.
This summer, the Obama administration put America’s energy industry on notice. A new mandate from the Environmental Protection Agency requires the nation to cut carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants by nearly one-third by the year 2030. At the same time, many states, including Michigan, are trying to increase energy efficiency through renewable sources. In March, Gov. Rick Snyder said he would like to see Michigan achieve a 30 to 40 percent increase in renewable energy sources while reducing waste.
State lawmakers are presenting a host of bills that seek to meet these goals. The Snyder administration says Michigan will submit its compliance plan one year from now, in September 2016.
Current State speaks with Dan Bishop, director of media relations for Consumers Energy in Jackson, and Sarah Mulkoff, energy program director for the Michigan Environmental Council.
This segment was produced by WKAR’s Current State and is reproduced with permission.