Michigan has put its efforts to comply with new federal carbon rules on hold until the courts decide the future of the Clean Power Plan (CPP).
Under the CPP, Michigan is required to cut emissions by 31 percent by 2030. Before the U.S. Supreme Court called “time out” on the CPP, Michigan was required to submit a plan to the EPA detailing how it would comply by September 2016.
To meet the September deadline the Michigan Agency for Energy (MAE) assembled a technical workgroup to figure out how Michigan could meet the CPP mandates. Wolverine Power Cooperative employees Brian Warner, vice president of environmental strategy and Zach Anderson, manager of power supply, served on this workgroup, along with other utilities and environmental groups. The group was asked to help assess the assumptions made by the MAE to model CPP compliance scenarios.
Although CPP efforts have been put on hold, the state will complete the evaluation of the workgroup’s scenarios since the findings will be helpful planning for Michigan’s energy future. When available, the results will be posted on the state’s website dedicated to Michigan’s CPP efforts, michigan.gov/carbonrule
“We will continue to support the development of an energy policy that it is adaptable, affordable, reliable and protective of the environment,” the MAE said in a news release. “Regardless of the carbon rule outcome, the state must make important decisions regarding our energy future to ensure an improved planning process that is able to manage regulatory uncertainties like we have with the carbon rule stay.”