LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Council on Climate Solutions is delaying the final draft of the state’s Healthy Climate Plan for another month to get more feedback from the public.

Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Director Liesl Clark sent an email to council members on Feb. 2 saying that feedback will be accepted for another month because of an “overwhelming” number of comments from the public and council members on the proposed plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

The deadline for all comments and suggestions is now March 14. The original deadline was Feb. 13. (See Michigan Zero-carbon Proposal Draft Sent to Whitmer.)

March 14 was originally the date the final report was to go to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D). The new date for sending the plan to the governor is April 22, Clark said. In her 2020 executive order and separate executive directive creating the council, Whitmer had called for delivery of the plan to her by the end of 2021.

The department has also added a third public listening session for individuals to comment on the proposed plan — scheduled for 6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 14 — which will focus on environmental justice issues. The next public listening session is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

At the first session on Jan. 26, dozens of people proposed making the plan more aggressive. The plan now calls for the state to stop all use of coal by 2035 and to accommodate 2 million electric vehicles on state roads by 2030.

The council itself will next meet on March 8. In her email, Clark praised councilmembers for their “input throughout this process. We are grateful for your continued guidance and feedback as we finalize the plan.”