53rd District State Rep. Jeff Irwin (D)-Ann Arbor discussed the Energy Freedom package of bills he is co-sponsoring and what he would like to see set as the new mandate for the state's Renewable Energy Standard.
Overview
Rep. Irwin hopes to re-introduce the Energy Freedom bill package this session with the goal of helping Michigan transition to clean, sustainable energy sources while creating energy-related jobs in our state.
This bill was introduced as a bipartisan legislative package last session, and it included bills to foster distributed generation from renewable sources-- the lame-duck legislative session ended without any action being taken, so the entire package of bills will have to be reintroduced again this year.
In developing the package, Rep. Irwin met with Consumers and DTE as well as environmental advocacy groups to get a broad range of input on how renewable energy production should be structured.
More about Rep. Jeff Irwin Prior to his election, Rep. Irwin served the people of Ann Arbor as a Washtenaw County Commissioner for 11 years, where he worked to promote government collaboration, protect natural areas, and support public transit. He is a founding member of Partners for Transit, which is committed to providing countywide public transit to Washtenaw residents. Rep. Irwin also previously worked for the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and for then-state Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith.
Resources
Net Metering (Michigan Legislature)
Fair Value Pricing (Michigan Legislature)
Microgrids and General Grid Reliability (Michigan Legislature)
Community Energy Gardens (Michigan Legislature)
- co-ops for people who can't install their own generation systems
