LANSING — Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette Tuesday urged voters to reject the renewable energy ballot proposal, calling it a misguided effort to inject energy policy into the Michigan Constitution.
Schuette said that Michigan needs a jobs agenda, and energy policy is a key element to bringing more jobs and paychecks to Michigan, but that policy shouldn’t be in the constitution.
“The constitution very clearly is not the place for energy policy,” said Schuette. “In fact, the constitution itself calls for the Michigan Legislature to set energy policy — in Article IV, Section 50 — so Michigan voters should be wary of this misguided attempt to do an end run around that wise provision.”
If passed, Michigan would be the only state in the entire country to amend its constitution by ballot initiative to include Renewable Portfolio Standards. The proposal would mandate the state of Michigan to produce 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar by the year 2025.
Michigan’s current 10 percent renewable energy standard was set by a bipartisan vote of the Legislature in 2008, after two years of deliberation. Under current law, Michigan must reach the 10 percent by 2015, at which time the standard is set to be reviewed.
