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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:
Announcing: the MI Clean Energy Leaders 2025-2026 Cohort!
The MI Clean Energy Leaders Program, which is supported by Michigan EIBC and the Institute for Energy Innovation (IEI), is proud to announce their 2025-2026 cohort. This incredible group of leaders will spend the year building relationships, sharing knowledge and skills, and nurturing collaboration to accelerate Michigan’s clean energy transition. Fellows include:
- Bridget Callahan – Summit Ridge Energy
- Gustavo Cordero – Michigan Public Service Commission
- Haley Neuenfeldt – EGLE Office of Climate and Energy
- Jacob Stid – Postdoctoral Research Associate, Michigan State University
- Jamie Simmons – Elevate
- Kayla Snyder – Michigan Green Building Collaborative (MiGBC)
- Kris Spaulding – Northern Initiatives
- Leslie Tom – The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
- Lisa Biering – Consumers Energy
- Natalie Lyijynen – Michigan EIBC and IEI
- Samantha Craig – United Agrivoltaics Heartland Alliance & Shepherd’s Garden
- Sarah Lee – University of Michigan Center for EmPowering Communities
- Sergio Cira-Reyes – Urban Core Collective
- Dr. Stephanie Means – Walker-Miller Energy Services
- Taylor Searcy – General Motors
Read full bios here. Michigan EIBC and IEI have been proud to cheer on the re-launch of this program and look forward to seeing what this group will pull off.
Join Michigan EIBC for our 13th Annual Energy Innovators Gala!
Michigan EIBC is excited to welcome our members, Michigan legislators and state officials, and the general public to our 13th Annual Michigan Energy Innovators Gala on September 24th at the Gem Theatre in Detroit. Our gala is a wonderful opportunity to network with colleagues, policymakers, and industry experts, all while celebrating the individuals and businesses who succeeded in growing Michigan’s advanced energy sector. For more event information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Sponsorship opportunities are available (click here for more information). Please email Michigan EIBC (mieibc@mieibc.org) to sponsor!
Michigan EIBC Holds Reception at Mackinac Conference
On May 29, Michigan EIBC held a legislative reception at the Seabiscuit Cafe on Mackinac Island for attendees of the Detroit Regional Chamber Mackinac Policy Conference. Find some pictures from the event below.
Thank you to the event’s sponsors!
Renewing Members
Energy Security Partners (formerly SustainabiliD)
Energy Security Partners (ESP) is a global strategic advisory firm specializing in the intersection of climate, energy, and national security. ESP provides tailored coaching, strategic advice, and actionable solutions to corporations, investment firms, think tanks, universities, philanthropies, and climate tech innovators. Integrating expertise in climate and energy policy, technological innovation, and leadership development, ESP delivers pragmatic, nonpartisan solutions that reduce risks, enhance resilience, and accelerate progress. By combining deep policy knowledge with strategic operations, ESP drives innovation, strengthens economic and security priorities, and advances sustainable solutions for energy transitions and climate resilience.
Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, with employees around the world, General Motors is a company with global scale and capabilities. Our Vision is a World With Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion. Our diverse team brings their collective passion for engineering, technology, and design to deliver on this ambitious future, and the bold commitments we’ve made are moving us closer to realizing this vision.
We guide communities towards greater energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption through three approaches: delivering large-scale energy programs, implementing community-based projects, and providing technical consulting and services. MEO collaborates with for-profit and nonprofit partners to provide practical, cost-effective solutions to complex energy challenges.
SEEL, formed in 2009, is a leading minority-owned energy program services company. Focusing on community, quality and cost-effectiveness, SEEL is one of the largest minority-owned energy management firms in the country. SEEL is committed to providing opportunities to local displaced workers in all areas of operation to meet the needs of the company programming. SEEL has put in place a training program that converts former blue collar workers into green collar advocates, a skill set that prepares them, not only to work at SEEL, but for the future. SEEL brings more than just innovation to energy services. We bring a commitment to bettering our community. Our award-winning design, installation, and customer service teams support homeowners, landlords and business owners – making a more cost–effective, environmentally sound energy program a simple choice.
Founded in 2011, SunShare is a full-service, end-to-end developer, owner, and operator of community solar gardens. As the nation’s oldest community solar company, SunShare’s mission is to give everyone access to renewable energy solutions. We are a pioneer of community solar policy and program development, and we serve our communities by leasing or buying land from local farmers and landowners, on which we build community solar gardens. These gardens serve thousands of subscribers who can’t or don’t want to put solar panels on their roof, by allowing them to subscribe to a portion of the energy produced by the solar garden.
Michigan Energy News
- Michigan EIBC President Laura Sherman expresses concern about a cap on the amount of solar development in Michigan found in a recently-introduced community solar bill.
- Consumer advocates criticize Consumers Energy’s new $436 million rate increase request.
- Customers will ultimately be on the hook for the costs of keeping the Campbell coal plant online, MLive reports.
- An East Lansing homeowner with rooftop solar chides U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett for voting to “kill thousands of good-paying jobs in our state’s growing clean energy economy and to sacrifice Michigan’s global leadership in the development of new clean energy technologies like electric vehicles and battery storage” with his vote for the budget bill.
National Energy News
- The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approves NuScale Power’s design for a 462-MW small modular nuclear reactor.
- Several U.S. Senators are calling for the preservation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program.
- A new Ohio law forbids settlements that lead to the closure of “baseload” power plants.
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.
Michigan and National Energy Events
Berkeley Lab will host a public webinar on June 2, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern, to discuss solutions for improving DER interconnection processes and associated timelines. The webinar will cover increasing data access and transparency, strategically using automation, and improving hosting capacity analysis to facilitate interconnection applications and studies. Panelists include Cody Matthews–Michigan Public Service Commission, David Rearden and Calvin Monson–Illinois Commerce Commission, and Adam Podpora–NY Central Hudson. Register here.
On June 11, the Institute for Energy Innovation will hold an Energy 101 “Lunch and Learn” event for Michigan legislators, staff, and Michigan EIBC members. Join us to learn about the importance of investing in the advanced energy sector and communities across the state at times of instability. For more information, email Michigan EIBC (mieibc@mieibc.org).
Michigan EIBC is excited to welcome our members, Michigan legislators and state officials, and the general public to our 13th Annual Michigan Energy Innovators Gala on Sept. 24 at the Gem Theatre in Detroit. For more event information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Michigan EIBC is proud to support the 2025 Forth Roadmap Conference as a Community Partner! Join us Oct. 14-16, 2025 in Detroit at the nation’s leading electric transportation conference. Connect with industry leaders, explore emerging trends, and shape the future of mobility. Roadmap 2025 is where policymakers, utilities, automakers, and industry innovators come together to advance clean transportation solutions. Use MEIBC75 for $75 off full conference tickets. Find out more and register at roadmapforth.org. We hope to see you there!
Opportunities
Michigan EIBC member Centrepolis Accelerator has just announced a new round of the Make it in Michigan Prototyping Grant program offers funding to promising mobility and electrification technology companies, supporting their product development in collaboration with Michigan-based firms. This program is committed to advancing innovation across Michigan’s mobility and electrification sectors, emphasizing opportunities for startups, established firms, and disadvantaged businesses in distressed or rural communities, as well as companies relocating or expanding within Michigan. Learn more here. The deadline to apply is July 7.
Consumers Energy has announced its 2025 All-Source RFP. Learn more here. The application deadline is July 15.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.
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 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 Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) has just announced host institutions for the 2025/2026 Energy Innovators Fellowship. The fellowship sponsors individuals to work full-time for 1-2 years at host institutions such as Public Utility Commissions and State Energy Offices across the country in advancing solutions that will help modernize the power system, improve energy infrastructure for transportation and industry, and make the U.S. power system more reliable, affordable, and resilient. The application deadline is June 6.
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.