LANSING – The Michigan Agency for
Energy, created through an executive order by Governor
Rick Snyder, officially opened its doors for business on Monday with the
goal of being the single entity dedicated to getting all of the state
government departments and commissions the information and context they need to
support the state’s energy priorities.
The agency was created through EO
2015-10 and is led by Valerie Brader, who has previously served as the
governor’s deputy legal counsel and senior policy advisor.
“Michiganders need to be
confident that they’ll have affordable and reliable power for their homes and
businesses,” Mr. Snyder said in a statement. “As our state faces the
retirement of 10 coal-fired plants in the coming years, we also need to a plan
moving forward that is adaptable and protects our environment, helping families
and job-creators long into the future.”
Numerous coal plants are scheduled
to shut down due in large part to extensive regulations from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency regarding coal emissions. At the same time,
several key provisions from Michigan’s energy law, last updated in 2008, are
slated to expire by the end of 2015.
Among the major topics will be
whether to keep the 10 percent cap on competition in the electric market and
whether to set a number-specific goal for renewable energy usage (though most
officials and Energy Committee members in both chambers seem to be leaning
toward a clean energy standard instead). Mr. Snyder is also targeting energy
efficiency as having a key part in the energy policy placed before him by
year’s end.
“As Michigan shifts from the
energy sources of the past to those of our future, we will focus on energy
policies that will help families and businesses have affordable, reliable, and
environmentally-protective energy,” Brader said. “We will make those
decisions in Michigan and not be directed by Washington, D.C.”
The Michigan Agency for Energy
brings together the Air Policy director and the Retired Engineers Technical
Assistance Program from the Department of Environmental Quality; the Michigan
Energy Office from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation; and the
Michigan Public Service Commission, which will continue to operate autonomously
from the agency.
Also, the authorities of the Energy
Advisory Committee – which has responsibilities related to energy emergencies –
are transferred from the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to
MAE’s executive director. The agency is housed within LARA and is located at
7109 West Saginaw, in Lansing.
This story was published by Gongwer News Service. To
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