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Welcome to the weekly newsletter of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council (Michigan EIBC), the business voice for advanced energy in Michigan. Here’s what’s new this week:
Michigan EIBC, Other Organizations File Briefs In Defense of Siting Law
A wide array of organizations and stakeholders are filing briefs and amicus curiae briefs with the Michigan Court of Appeals defending the Michigan Public Service Commission’s (MPSC) implementation of Public Act 233, the law that streamlines siting for large renewable energy and energy storage projects.
The briefs represent the latest development in the challenge to the MPSC’s implementation of the law brought by a number of townships and counties. The court has allowed the MPSC to continue work on implementation as the challenge is pending.
In a recent brief, Michigan EIBC, the Institute for Energy Innovation, Advanced Energy United, and Clean Grid Alliance, who are intervenors in the case, called for the accurate interpretation and implementation of the law to ensure improvements in the siting and permitting of large renewable energy and energy storage projects, Gongwer reported. In addition, a broad set of business groups, renewable energy advocates, labor organizations, legislators, and local landowners has filed several amicus curiae briefs with the court, urging the full implementation of the permitting process under PA 233 due to its crucial role in advancing Michigan’s clean energy future, economic growth, and environmental sustainability.
“These briefs demonstrate the broad, widespread support for ensuring that Michiganders can use their land as they wish while stimulating job creation and economic development,” Michigan EIBC President Laura Sherman said in a statement. “Streamlining siting and permitting processes is not only critical to Michigan’s ability to be a national leader in the clean energy industry, but also is essential to protecting property rights and supporting local communities.”
Hydrogen Public Convening Held at Michigan CAT in Lansing
Thank you to all who attended our March 4 public convening on hydrogen at Michigan EIBC member Michigan CAT’s facility in Lansing. Participants learned about many different applications for hydrogen in the energy economy, from transportation fuels to industrial applications to roles for hydrogen in energy storage. The event included a presentation from Kevin Mehren, Deputy Infrastructure Officer, Michigan Infrastructure Office, a panel discussion with industry experts and a tour of the Michigan CAT facility.
The panel, moderated by Michigan EIBC President Laura Sherman, consisted of:
- Dr. André Boehman, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
- Niko Landin, Development Program Senior Associate Engineer, Caterpillar Inc.
- Reuben Sarkar, President & CEO, American Center for Mobility
Register for 13th Annual Michigan Energy Innovators Conference
Join us for our most popular event of the year! Register now for Michigan EIBC’s annual conference, to be held in East Lansing on April 2. This year’s keynote speaker will be Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II.
You can find all of the event details on our conference website, including panel topics and speakers. Sponsorship opportunities are also available, you can review them here. The deadline for sponsors to be included in our conference program is March 11th, please contact Brianna (brianna@mieibc.org) for more information.
ANNOUNCING MAINSTAGE PANEL
Unlocking Synergies Between Advanced Energy Incentive Programs
ANNOUNCING BREAKOUT PANEL
It Takes a Village: Strategies for Effective Community Engagement
Thank you to our sponsors!
TERAWATT 
MEGAWATT
KILOWATT
the WATT
Renewing Member
BorgWarner is a global automotive product leader headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. For more than 130 years, BorgWarner has been manufacturing vehicle propulsion products in the US and remains committed to delivering innovative, sustainable mobility solutions. BorgWarner’s vision is to create a clean, energy-efficient world. Today, that includes developing and producing electric vehicle technologies, including battery systems, electric drive motors and modules, power electronics, eFans, and high-voltage coolant heaters.
Michigan Energy News
- MPSC Chair Dan Scripps expresses concerns about reliability if Ontario follows through on a threat to potentially cut off electricity exports to Michigan in response to tariffs.
- It’s “safe to assume” that the new tariffs on Canadian goods will lead to higher prices for electricity, propane and gasoline, Scripps says.
- The MPSC orders a new system of financial incentives and penalties tied to reliability performance for DTE and Consumers Energy.
- Ann Arbor’s city council votes down a proposal to study the full municipalization of the city’s electric infrastructure.
National Energy News
- Corning, parent of Michigan EIBC member Hemlock Semiconductor, announces a deal with Suniva and Heliene to make the only solar panel with all American-made components.
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s freezing of $20 billion in grants from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund has left some nonprofits in trouble.
- The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center will deploy 100 bidirectional electric vehicle chargers as part of a two-year pilot program to test “vehicle-to-everything” charging.
- As some legislators try to cut Maine’s net metering program, clean energy advocates are pointing to statistics that show distributed solar is not to blame for the state’s high electric bills.
Job Board
Attention Michigan EIBC members: if you have a job announcement you would like in the newsletter, please send a paragraph describing the position and a link to apply to Matt Bandyk at matt@mieibc.org. Please include in the email a specific end date for the job posting.
Elevate
Director of Government Partnerships. Location: Chicago/Remote.
The Director of Government Partnerships manages federal and public sector funding opportunities to support a comprehensive development plan to diversify revenue streams, realize fundraising goals, and contribute to designing and implementing structures and systems. The Director of Government Partnerships leads Elevate’s strategy for public sector fundraising and oversees the development of government-funded proposals and programs in coordination with implementation teams and operations. This role partners with other Development Team members and colleagues across the organization to develop and achieve annual fundraising goals.
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy
Engineer 12 – Building Trade Industry Engineer. Location: Lansing.
As a recognized resource, this position serves as the Building Trade Industry Engineer for EGLE’s Energy Services, with responsibilities for supporting operations and maintenance activities within the public (state and municipal units of government and institutions) and commercial buildings’ sectors. These duties include, but are not limited to, grant management; interfacing with the public; providing in-depth engineering technical assistance for optimization of energy intensive building operating systems; developing strategies for reducing energy consumption in building; benchmarking building operations; technical advising on performance contracting; authoring technical reports; and serving as a technical resource to EGLE on building matters.
Michigan and National Energy Events
The 13th Annual Michigan Energy Innovators Conference will be held at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing on April 2. Register here.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s (EGLE) MI Healthy Climate Conference is taking place April 22-23 at the Huntington Place in Detroit. Find out more here.
Opportunities
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has announced the first in a series of Requests for Proposals, offering $5 million in initial funding to support the deployment of non-public Level 2 alternating current electric vehicle charging stations at existing multifamily housing units. Individual grant awards are capped at $300,000, with applicants required to provide a minimum 30% match of the total requested funds if the project is outside an environmental justice community. Find the RFP here. Proposals will be accepted on a rolling basis until all funds are allocated.
Michigan Clean Energy Leaders (MCEL), is seeking nominees for our next cohort. A fellowship program and network, MCEL convenes leaders to build relationships, share knowledge and skills, and nurture collaboration to accelerate Michigan’s clean energy transition. MCEL is seeking nominees — diverse in identity, background, geography and industry — who are in the first 10-15 years of a career in clean energy. Please visit micleanenergyleaders.com today to learn more and submit a nomination!
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has announced several new programs with funding available for energy-related projects, including the Agriculture and Rural Business Energy Incentive Program, the Small Manufacturers Retooling Program, the Grid Resiliency Program, the Water Energy Nexus Program and the Sponsorship Program.
The Electrification Coalition is calling on American businesses, trade associations, and workforce development organizations to urge the federal government to support the domestic EV manufacturing industry by maintaining clean vehicle tax policies and grants to continue to incentivize private investment. Read the letter here and fill out the form to add your organization as a signatory.
The Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) has an open, rolling solicitation seeking proposals for investment from project developers, sponsors, communities, private equity firms, financial intermediaries, co-lenders or others. Find out more information here.
The State of Michigan’s Michigan Infrastructure Office Technical Assistance Center has launched a website with information about how tax-exempt entities can take advantage of federal clean energy tax credits using elective pay.
The Michigan Mobility Funding Platform (MMFP) is now taking applications for grant funding! Led by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, companies can apply for test site grants or real-world deployment grants. The application is open until March 13.
The MPSC has released a request for proposals seeking applicants for $4.875 million in Renewable Energy and Electrification Infrastructure Enhancement and Development grants. The deadline is March 20, and you can find out more at the MPSC’s webpage for the program here.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program is accepting applications from agricultural producers and rural small businesses for grants and guaranteed loans There is an upcoming deadline on March 31. Find out more here.
Michigan EGLE is offering at least $320,000 in funding MI Solar Communities-MI Solar Access Program. Applications will be accepted through March 31 or when funding is expended, whichever comes first. Find the request for proposals for MI Solar Access here.
Michigan EGLE has released an RFP for grants from its Clean Energy Workforce Development Program. The application deadline is July 30.
Michigan State University’s Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics (AFRE) is seeking a full-time Associate Professor (FT) to serve as the Director of the Institute of Public Utilities (IPU). Find out more about this position here.
The Michigan Public Service Commission has created a website tracking its progress implementing Public Acts 229, 231, 233, 234, and 235, passed on Nov. 8, 2023 and signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Nov. 28.
Rheaply, NextCycle Michigan and Michigan EGLE have launched the Michigan Materials Marketplace, which allows businesses to buy and sell excess materials so they can be reused instead of discarded.
Michigan EGLE is launching the Renewables Ready Communities Award (RRCA), which makes Michigan municipalities that have, on or after October 1, 2023, begun physically hosting and/or performing local permitting for any portion of an eligible renewable energy project eligible for awards of $5,000 per MW. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are depleted and there is no specific deadline. More information on this opportunity can be found on the RRCA Webpage.