Passage of clean energy legislation would build on state’s leadership and momentum
LANSING, Mich. – A new report from Climate Power shows Michigan leading America’s clean energy boom. The report shows Michigan is the number three state nationwide for clean energy investments, with $21.3 billion of investments and 16,699 jobs secured since the passage of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act in August 2022. The Climate Power report follows the recent passage of a bold clean energy legislative package that Governor Whitmer called for in her What’s Next Address. The clean package will lower household energy costs, create tens of thousands of good-paying middle-class jobs, reduce our reliance on foreign fuel, and us face climate change head-on.
“Michigan is competing with everyone to lead the future of cars, chips, and clean energy and we are winning,” said Governor Whitmer. “According to a new Climate Power Report, Michigan has secured $21.3 billion of projects and over 16,600 jobs since the passage of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. We will keep building the future of clean energy and advanced manufacturing right here in Michigan, especially after the recent passage of clean energy legislation I called for in my What’s Next Address earlier this year. With a 100% clean energy standard, energy efficiency rules to save families money, stronger tools to build more solar and wind farms, I know we will build on our economic momentum and dominate the future. I look forward to signing our clean energy package soon so we can build our brighter future.”
Clean Energy Boom Report
- The new Climate Power Report finds that since the passage of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, Michigan has secured $21.3 billion in investment, the 3rd highest nationwide, and 16,699 jobs, the 4th highest nationwide.
- The report also notes that Michigan is the 6th highest state for the number of new clean energy jobs and 5th highest for new clean energy investments secured in rural communities.
- Michigan is projected to add 167,000 clean energy jobs in the next 10 years, continuing the state’s leadership as the #1 clean energy job market in the Midwest that grew 4.6% between 2021 and 2022, according to Clean Jobs Midwest.
- Since Governor Whitmer took office, Michigan has secured over 37,000 auto jobs, including projects building electric vehicles, batteries, and auto components.
Electric Vehicle and Battery Project Wins
Transformational electric vehicle and battery investments in Michigan include:
- In January 2022, General Motors announced a historic investment of $7 billion, creating 4,000 and retaining 1,000 jobs, to convert Orion Township assembly plant to build full-size electric vehicle pickups and build Ultium’s third U.S. battery cell plant in Lansing.
- In March 2022, LG Energy Solution announced a $1.7 billion expansion creating 1,200 jobs in Holland manufacturing batteries.
- In June 2022, Ford Motor Company announced an investment of $2 billion, creating more than 3,200 jobs in plants across Michigan to support electric vehicle manufacturing growth and secure internal combustion engine portfolio in the state.
- In June 2022, Canadian electric vehicle charging network operator FLO announced an investment of $3 million for the company’s first-ever U.S. manufacturing facility in Auburn Hills.
- In October 2022, Michigan-based Our Next Energy announced a $1.6 billion investment to establish its first cell and electric vehicle battery pack gigafactory in Van Buren Township, creating up to 2,112 jobs.
- In October 2022, Gotion announced a $2.36 billion investment for a new manufacturing facility in Big Rapids, creating up to 2,350 jobs.
- In January 2023: Ford announced a $3.5 billion investment, creating 2,500 good-paying jobs, in a new EV battery manufacturing facility in Marshall.
- In May 2023: Nel Hydrogen announced a $400 million investment, creating more than 500 good-paying jobs to build an automated gigawatt electrolyzer manufacturing facility.
Whitmer-Gilchrist Administration Accomplishments
Governor Whitmer is committed to growing Michigan’s economy and investing in our talented workforce:
- Launched the MI Healthy Climate Plan, to lower costs, create jobs, and make Michigan 100% carbon neutral by 2050.
- Led by example by deploying clean energy at state facilities and powering state government with 100% renewable energy.
- Signed bipartisan budgets investing millions in climate-resilient infrastructure, Michigan’s Greenbank, and clean energy for state facilities, families, and small businesses.
- Signed an FY24 budget with hundreds of millions to act on climate, including funding for schools to purchase electric school buses and incentives for communities to host renewable energy.
- Signed legislation to help Michigan communities foster clean energy, lower costs.
- Called on the legislature to pass bills making Michigan a national leader in clean energy with a 100% clean energy standard and more.
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