On Nov. 6, Michigan residents will vote on a constitutional mandate requiring electric utilities to provide a quarter of our states’ electric power from renewable sources by 2025. This seemingly progressive amendment appears to be a noble pursuit, but appeals to thoughtless pathos and would place an insolvent burden on the backs of Michiganders.
Contrary to the arguments set forth by special interest groups poised to financially gain by its passage, Proposal 3 is anything but a rational, forward-thinking policy. If approved, this proposal would mandate that Michigan’s energy providers meet the 25-percent standard, regardless of cost, changes in technology or energy needs. It would require the implementation of roughly 3,100 new wind turbines across half a million acres of land to meet this standard. And that doesn’t take into account the $12-billion cost, directly hitting Michigan residents and Michigan-based businesses, nor the steep expected increase in our energy bills, estimated at roughly 25 percent.
The proponents of Proposal 3 have advanced this cause and targeted our wallets, yet they don’t have a plan with which to implement their irresponsible policy. Michigan already has a comprehensive energy policy, and studies show that our air and water are the cleanest they’ve been in more than two generations. Energy providers in our state are on target to meet the 10-percent renewable goal by 2015. In fact, Consumer Energy plans to spend $600 million in harvesting renewable technology in the next five years, while DTE Energy will invest $1.5 billion during this time span.
A “yes” vote on Proposal 3 not only threatens Michigan’s sustainable energy outlook, but puts the competitiveness of our state economy in jeopardy. After Republican Gov. Rick Snyder ushered in the replacement of the job-killing Michigan Business Tax with a flat, 6-percent corporate income tax, Bloomberg Economic Evaluation of States rated Michigan’s economic health growth as second best in the nation. Our state is moving toward once again being the epicenter of the global economy, as we were at the height of the auto industry’s strength. Passage of Proposal 3 would stop this forward momentum in its tracks. According to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a free market think tank, the “25×25” mandate will cost our state 10,540 jobs. As of September 2012, Michigan’s unemployment rate is 9.3 percent. This isn’t the time to dampen our state’s already fragile recovery.
On the surface, Proposal 3 may seem like a positive step for our state, but it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. There’s a reason that none of the other 49 states set their energy policy through constitutional mandates — it’s a dangerous abuse of constitutional law. Proposal 3 would tie our own hands behind our backs, limiting the state’s ability to pursue practical solutions in an ever-changing technological world. This is reckless policy that’s bad for our energy future and bad for everyday Michiganders. Tell the out-of-state special interest groups funding this proposal that our constitution is not for sale. I strongly urge voters to reject this proposal and vote “no” on Proposal 3.
Brad Fingeroot is an LSA freshman.