LANSING - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed a bill into law that is expected to clear the way for part-time workers to keep unemployment aid they received during the pandemic. The eligibility of part-time workers for unemployment and their ability to keep it after the fact was in question following confusion over whether claimants should
LANSING - Energy waste reduction programs saved the state almost 1.6 million megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity and more than 6 million Mcf (thousand cubic feet) of natural gas in 2020, demonstrating the continued benefits of EWR efforts across Michigan. Meanwhile, wind turbines maintained their dominance among the state’s sources of renewable energy. These and
ANN ARBOR - The State Of Michigan will receive $237 million for business loans and funding for Venture Capital companies, part of a $10 billion national program from the Biden Administration. Last week, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved the new program that could start pumping money into Michigan businesses by spring, said Chris Cook, Director
GRAND RAPIDS - Nearly $237 million in federal funding coming to the state is planned to support small businesses in Michigan through lending initiatives and equity investments in venture capital funds. The Michigan Economic Development Corp. aims to deploy the federal funding across five programs, including investing $75 million in one or more venture capital funds
ANN ARBOR - Gabe Rodriguez from Business Leaders for Michigan provided details on its updated benchmarking report comparing Michigan’s performance against the Top 10 states. While Michigan has made significant gains since the Great Recession, moving from 49th to 29th, the metrics show that Michigan is struggling to grow faster than other states. You can
LANSING - Michigan Democrats have their best shot in decades to take control of the state Legislature after an independent commission voted in December on new political district boundaries that likely create many more competitive elections than in previous years. Democrats have been in the minority in the state House since 2011 and the Senate since 1984. While there is no guarantee they will win control of
LANSING—Officials at the Michigan Economic Development Corp. announced that Jen Nelson has been appointed COO for the organization. Nelson returns to the MEDC, where she will lead MEDC organizational operations, including development and implementation of MEDC’s strategic plan as well as MEDC’s continuous improvement and organizational performance initiatives. “Jen brings an incredible wealth of experiences
LANSING - The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a substantially reduced rate increase of $27,118,000 for Consumers Energy Co.’s electric operations, a nearly 88 percent reduction from the $225 million the utility had originally requested. A typical residential customer who uses 500 kilowatt hours of electricity per month will see an increase of 59 cents (0.64%) on their monthly
LANSING 0 The Michigan Economic Development Corporate announced two new programs designed to strengthen Michigan’s communities by supporting placemaking efforts around the state utilizing federal funding, including American Rescue Plan dollars. Program guidelines for the Revitalization and Placemaking program and the Public Gathering Spaces Initiative were approved on Dec. 7 by the Michigan Strategic Fund
LANSING - The Michigan Public Service Commission last week launched a new study that will examine the potential of renewable natural gas (RNG) development in Michigan, in accordance with Public Act 87 of 2021, approved by the Legislature and signed into law in September by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. PA 87 requires the Commission to conduct the study
