Democrat mandates would raise electricity rates on Michigan residents

State Rep. Andrew Beeler tonight voted against Democrat legislation that would result in higher electricity prices while decreasing reliability.

The legislation would mandate 100% “clean” electricity production by 2040, requiring expensive construction of wind and solar power and leading to the closure of natural gas and coal power plants. The shift to less reliable power sources would increase the likelihood of blackouts and brownouts, and residents will see higher electricity bills to cover the costs of new equipment.

“The expensive, extreme, and irresponsible energy standards these bills impose are wrong for Michigan residents,” said Beeler, R-Port Huron. “Shutting down power plants and eliminating the lion’s share of our electricity production won’t be cheap. Families, local businesses, and schools will get higher bills in their mailbox each month to pay for these costs. What’s more, wind and solar power simply aren’t reliable enough, and the power will go out more often. Democrats are pushing this bad legislation all for a negligible impact on the climate demanded by activists. The costs are clear: Higher and higher energy prices for the middle class and small businesses.”

The “clean” energy mandates under the bills would effectively ban reliable natural gas plants, with an impractical exception only if a plant incorporates expensive, rare carbon capture technology. The final bills would also repeal a cap limiting electric rate increases for offsetting the cost of renewable standard compliance.

An expert analysis projects that average monthly electric bills could nearly double under the legislation, and California, which adopted similar mandates in 2018, has seen rate increases dramatically outpace national increases. California has also started to backtrack on its energy mandates after widespread blackouts and brownouts.

The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives passed Senate Bills 271, 273, 502, and 519 along party lines.