The bills codify many of the Michigan governor's climate goals, such as giving the Public Service Commission power to approve sites for new large-scale renewable energy projects and a 100 % clean energy goal of 2040

The first bill in a package of climate legislation won Michigan Senate approval while talks continued on the other proposals.

Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists are hoping for swift approval of legislation to give Michigan residents better access to rooftop and community solar.

Michigan lawmakers approved bills to circumvent tax assessment fights over solar projects, allowing municipalities to charge a flat $7,000/MW annual fee.

Petition organizers withdrew their proposal for a voter initiative to ban utility-scale solar on Michigan farmland, but they plan to resubmit.

Michigan PSC chief Dan Scripps told legislators the state’s electric grid is “nowhere it needs to be,” citing outages that affected 1 million residents.

Community solar projects would be legal and regulated by the Michigan PSC under a bipartisan package of two bills introduced in the state Senate.

A bill granting incumbent transmission owners the right of first refusal to build and operate transmission in Michigan won final legislative approval.

Michigan’s Senate voted to grant incumbent transmission owners the right of first refusal to build and operate new transmission lines in the state.