LANSING – Various legislators and interest groups worked much of the day Friday trying to answer Governor Jennifer Granholm’s call that they deal with changes to Michigan’s electric regulations before the election. But there were no indications that any agreements had been reached.
Sources indicated that meetings were ongoing late Friday afternoon on both HB 5542 to restructure electric regulation and SB 213 to create a renewable portfolio standard.
Sources said a new version of SB 213 was released late Friday, totaling some 95 pages. It still shoots for 10 percent of energy to come from renewal sources by 2015, but says some of the energy should come from clean coal technologies, burning tires and other developments.
Some officials are also worried that the proposal will transfer too much cost onto consumers on top of the deskewing of electrical rates so that businesses pay less.
A document floated late Friday purporting to be a compromise on HB 5542, which would have included such things as allowing 17.5 percent cost overruns on power plant construction without needed Public Service Commission approval and special carve-outs for Cleveland Cliffs mining company and metal melting companies, lacked some key signatories.
Sen. Cameron Brown (R-Fawn River Twp.), Senate chair of the conference committee, said he had not seen any such agreement.
“When the Michigan Senate returns to Lansing on Tuesday it can pass a comprehensive energy package that will create thousands of new good paying jobs for our state and it citizens. This legislation, which as already been approved by the state House, would require that by 2015, 10 percent of Michigan energy would come from renewable sources like wind,” Ms. Granholm said in her Friday radio address. “We need the Senate, the full Legislature, to do its job and pass a renewable portfolio standard.”
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