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January 8, 2026

Newsletter: Michigan EIBC’s 2026 Priorities, Auto Show, and more

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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’s 2026 Priorities

    Happy New Year! We’re looking forward to a great 2026 full of events and legislative and regulatory engagement. 

    Mark your calendars for our Annual Conference on May 5-6 and our Gala on October 7. We’ll also be taking part in the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, which runs from May 26 to 29, and will have a number of public events throughout the year. Members can also expect to be invited to members-only events throughout the year.

    In the legislature, we’ll continue to push for passage of bills we worked to introduce in 2025, including bills to enable virtual power plants (SB 731, SB 732), microgrids (SB 477), and community solar (SB 518, SB 519). We are also working on legislation to increase funding for weatherization through the low-income home energy assistance program (SB 562, HB 5090) and rectify unfair registration taxes for EV drivers (SB 593). 

    We will also push for clean energy priorities in the FY 2027 budget, including funding related to electric vehicles, geothermal energy, and behind-the-meter solar and storage.

    In the regulatory space, we’ll be participating in Integrated Resource Plan cases, as well as cases related to distribution-connected resources, community solar, transportation electrification, and electric heating rate design. We’ll also be working to ensure that permitting of solar, wind, and storage projects at the Commission is effective and efficient. 
    If you are not a member and would like to join Michigan EIBC, please contact Brianna Gerard at brianna@mieibc.org.

    See our events calendar

    Join Us at the Detroit Auto Show

    Michigan EIBC Policy Principal Sophia Schuster will be hosting a panel at the Detroit Auto Show on January 15 at 10:50 a.m. called “Rewired for the Future: Aligning Key Stakeholders for Unified EV Engagement.” The panel will focus on strengthening and executing best practice communication strategies to implement transportation electrification programs and enable EV adoption. Schuster will be joined by panelists representing critical stakeholder groups across the EV space:

    • Katie Coleman, President, Bowman Auto Group
    • Komal Doshi, VP of Beneficial Electrification & Mobility, Walker-Miller Energy Services
    • Neal Foley, Director of Marketing and Transportation Electrification, DTE Energy
    • Alex Keros, Sr. VP of Product, EVgo
    • Michael Matten, Director of EV Policy and Regulatory Affairs, General Motors

    Tickets for Media & Industry Days (Jan. 14-15) are still available for purchase. 

    Get tickets

    Renewing Members

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    Michigan Energy News

    • EV fees rise to the nation’s highest in 2026, the unfair result of a road funding fix as Michigan EIBC Policy Principal Sophia Schuster told Bridge. (Bridge)
    • EGLE plans to expand its home energy rebate program and focus on Renewables Ready Communities program in 2026. (Bridge)
    • Work project funding was reinstated after the Attorney General issued an opinion saying the law House Republicans used to cut $645 million is unconstitutional. (Detroit News)
    • A loophole in campaign finance reporting law makes it difficult to track utilities’ donations to Michigan lawmakers. (Guardian)
    • Consumers Energy completes a 250 megawatt solar farm near Muskegon. (WOODTV)
    • Michigan has lost $540 million in climate-related grants and $3 billion in clean manufacturing investments since Jan. 20, 2025. (Bridge)

    National Energy News

    • U.S. Court of Appeals agrees to rehear a case challenging the funding freeze of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. (Utility Dive)
    • Senate Democrats halt permitting reform bill after Trump administration freezes offshore wind projects. (Utility Dive)
    • The House plans to nullify energy efficiency standards for manufactured homes, setting rules back to 1994 levels. (Heatmap)
    • 16 states and D.C. filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s refusal to approve new funding for two EV charging programs. (Newsweek)

    Events

    • *NEW* Feb. 10: On Site: Detroit — Hosted at NewLab Detroit and designed for manufacturers, come learn about the latest news, regulations, and trends in energy, EHS, and sustainability, and network with other industry experts and professionals. Hear from Foresight’s team of industry experts as well as Corinne Graper with Uplift Agency, Kevin Budelmann with Peopledesign, and Matt Eugster with Varnum Law for an afternoon full of insights, networking, and your questions answered. Register
    • Feb. 13: University of Michigan Green Career Fair — If you are hiring full-time positions or internships in 2026, this is a great way to meet and identify early talent pipelines among some of the best and brightest in Michigan! For questions, contact Sydni Miller (sydnim@umich.edu) in the UM-SEAS Career Services office. Register

    Jobs

    If you have a job announcement you would like in the newsletter, please send the position and a link to apply to Kaei Li at kaei@mieibc.org. Please include in the email a specific end date for the job posting.

    Opportunities

    Resources