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November 3, 2024

Newsletter: Home Energy Rebate Launch and More

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  • Newsletter: Home Energy Rebate Launch and More
  • Newsletter: Article on Long-Duration Storage and More
  • Newsletter: Transportation Electrification Roadmap Released
  • Newsletter: Siting Law Implementation, DTE and DERs and More
  • Newsletter: Audit of DTE and Consumers Energy and More

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    • Welcome to the weekly newsletter of the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council (Michigan EIBC), the business voice for advanced energy in Michigan. Here’s what’s new this week:

    State Announces Pilot of Home Energy Rebate Program Before Full Launch Next Year

    Fifty households in Holland and Marquette County will be the first recipients of home energy rebates as part of a new Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) program funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. EGLE announced Oct. 29 that it is testing the program, Michigan’s Home Energy Rebates (MiHER), with a pilot involving customers of Upper Peninsula Power Company, SEMCO ENERGY Gas Company and the Holland Board of Public Works. The pilot will allow EGLE to test the program to prepare for a full launch statewide in 2025.

    The IRA provided $8.8 billion for home energy rebates, divided into two types: Home Efficiency Rebates to lower the upfront cost of whole-home energy efficiency upgrades, and Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates to reduce the upfront cost of efficient electric technologies like heat pumps and electric water heaters. The pilot makes Michigan “the first state in the Midwest to launch both of the Home Energy Rebates’ two component programs,” EGLE said in a statement.

    MiHER will be administered by EGLE’s Materials Management Division in partnership with CLEAResult and Michigan EIBC member Walker-Miller Energy Services. Households are eligible for up to $34,000 in rebates. In addition, MiHER will prioritize households with incomes at or below 80% of their county’s Area Median Income.

    Contractors that are interested in participating in MiHER can go here to learn more about how to prequalify.

     

    Michigan EIBC, IEI, Advanced Energy United File Testimony in Consumers Energy Rate Case

    Testimony from Michigan EIBC, the Institute for Energy Innovation and Advanced Energy United in Consumers Energy’s ongoing electric rate case calls for an increase in utility rebates for public and fleet EV chargers and for the utility to develop a business case for distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS), among other recommendations.

    In her testimony, Michigan EIBC President Laura Sherman called for Consumers Energy’s proposed rebate for DC fast chargers to be increased and extended. She also recommended that the utility should do more to study the societal benefits of transportation electrification, such as emissions reduction and decreased fuel costs, and incorporate those benefits into future transportation electrification plans filed by the utility.

    Sherman also addressed a Consumers Energy proposal for customers to receive utility bill credits in return for land leases or easements for renewable energy or storage projects. Dr. Sherman urged the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) to reject this proposal, arguing that it could create an unfair advantage for the utility because third-party developers do not have the ability to offer bill credits. In response, in rebuttal testimony, Consumers Energy withdrew this proposal.

    Another part of Dr. Sherman’s testimony focused on the utility’s plans for advanced meter infrastructure, which she noted is “foundational” to the goals of reliability and meeting clean energy targets. She recommended the MPSC open a standalone docket to investigate Consumers Energy’s advanced meter procurement plans to ensure that the company replaces its meters with next-generation meters that can best enable distributed energy resource deployment.

    Dr. Sherman’s testimony was accompanied by testimony from John Albers of Advanced Energy United, who said the MPSC should reject Consumers Energy’s request for deploying DERMS-related hardware and software. Instead, Consumers Energy should “finish their business planning, benchmarking, and learning before requesting ratepayer dollars for any kind of DERMS implementation,” Albers testified.

    Michigan EIBC In the News With Recent Op-Eds

    In case you missed it, Michigan EIBC experts have been published recently in Energy News Network and Bridge Michigan.

    In an op-ed in Energy News Network, Michigan EIBC President Laura Sherman wrote about how Michigan has the potential to be at the forefront of the exciting field of long-duration storage. That potential includes the work of Michigan EIBC members Energy Dome and Form Energy.

    Then, in an article published in Bridge Michigan, Michigan EIBC Policy Principal Sophia Schuster gave an overview of the recently released Transportation Electrification Policy Roadmap.


    New Member

     

    Worth Energy, LLC
    Worth Energy (WE) work with local businesses, landowners, homeowners, and communities to capture the benefits of local energy projects. WE help our clients install solar and battery storage, weatherize buildings, and upgrade equipment to save money. WE use clean energy projects to bring resources to those that need it most.

    Renewing Members

     

    AES Corporation
    The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is a Fortune 500 global energy company accelerating the future of energy. Together with our many stakeholders, we’re improving lives by delivering the greener, smarter energy solutions the world needs. Our diverse workforce is committed to continuous innovation and operational excellence, while partnering with our customers on their strategic energy transitions and continuing to meet their energy needs today.

    Leeward Renewable Energy

    Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE) is a high-growth renewable energy company that develops, owns, and operates impactful utility-scale projects. Our operational portfolio consists of 25 wind, solar and energy storage facilities with approximately 2,700 megawatts of generating capacity. We have strong financial backing from OMERS Infrastructure, a preeminent global infrastructure investor. OMERS Infrastructure is the investment arm of OMERS, one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans with C$124.2 billion in net assets (as at December 31, 2022). Our team of highly experienced experts is driven by our shared purpose to build a sustainable future for all. We accomplish this by meaningfully investing in our people, stakeholder relationships and projects for the long-term to deliver tailored solutions that advance the energy transition in the U.S. and make a meaningful impact within the communities in which we operate. LRE is actively developing a robust pipeline of projects as part of its transformative growth strategy that will position the company as one of the top renewable energy players in the country.

    NextEnergy Center
    Founded in 2002 as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, NextEnergy works with innovators to accelerate smarter, cleaner, more accessible solutions for communities and cities. Since its inception, NextEnergy has worked with more than 400 companies, universities, federal agencies, and philanthropic organizations to drive more than $1.5 billion in advanced energy and mobility technology investments. Based in the center of Detroit’s growing innovation district with access to a microgrid, smart home, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and an alternative fuels platform, we demonstrate and pilot technologies in real-world environments to gather data and diverse user-experiences. This process helps us to quickly scale and deploy solutions by accelerating commercialization with a specific focus on smart mobility and smart grid. Our depth of experience, technical knowledge and established network of partners have enabled us to develop effective programs and pilots and facilitate new relationships to help our clients achieve their commercialization goals. Contact us today to learn how you can start transforming your ideas and technology into smarter, cleaner more accessible solutions to create a better quality of life for all. To learn more visit nextenergy.org or call 313.833.0100.

    Uplight
    Uplight is a software provider that delivers customer engagement, enrollment, and load flexibility programs for over electric and gas utilities covering 110 million customers across North America. Our technology platform connects people, products, services, and other platforms to the grid and each other to power the clean energy transition. We empower utilities to harness their greatest power, energy customers, to achieve their customer engagement and satisfaction goals as well as energy and carbon reduction goals. We are a B-Corp with over 500 employees and are headquartered in Boulder, Colorado with staff and operations in Boston, Vancouver and Pune, India.


    ​

    Michigan Energy News

    • In 2023 Michigan utility energy waste reduction programs saved customers a projected $1.4 billion over the lives of the programs compared to $551 million in spending, according to an MPSC report.
    • An MLive review of data reveals the pace at which DTE and Consumers Energy have been narrowing the amount of time between rate case filings.
    • In light of all the attention the issue is getting in the election, MLive publishes an explainer on EVs and their effects on jobs in automotive manufacturing.
    • Evergreen Action publishes a debunking of myths about EVs and economic growth in Michigan.
    • Four Michigan tribes will receive over $38 million in Climate Pollution Reduction Grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    National Energy News

    • Michigan EIBC member Energy Dome signs an agreement with Wisconsin utility Alliant Energy to supply an energy storage project with Energy Dome’s compressed carbon dioxide battery system, which will be the first utility-scale deployment of this technology in the U.S.
    • The recently-established green bank Climate United releases a $250 million plan to electrify transportation serving the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
    • The U.S. Department of Energy finalizes a $2.26 billion loan for the project to build the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada.
    • The Southwest Power Pool board of directors approves a $7.7 billion set of transmission projects, the largest such portfolio in the grid operator’s history.

     

    Job Board

    Attention Michigan EIBC members: if you have a job announcement you would like in the newsletter, please send a paragraph describing the position and a link to apply to Matt Bandyk at matt@mieibc.org. Please include in the email a specific end date for the job posting.

    Advanced Energy United

    Policy Principal – Decision Maker Education & Engagement – Central. Location: Remote.

    Advanced Energy United (United) is currently seeking a Policy Principal to join our Decisionmaker Education and Engagement team (DMEE) in the Central United States (Midwest and Texas).

    The DMEE team assists state regulators, state energy office officials, and candidates for governor to better understand advanced energy products, services, and business models. Through National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and National Association of State Energy (NASEO) engagement, business roundtables, and educational forums, United educates candidates, commissioners, energy office officials, and staff members about the benefits advanced energy technologies and services can provide to customers and helps to solve the challenges in obtaining these benefits. 

    The Policy Principal will be responsible for strategizing, implementing, and managing workstreams dedicated to educating decision makers and engaging other key stakeholders on topics critical to advanced energy.

    Harvest Solar

    Solar Sales Consultant. Location: Illinois.

    Harvest Solar is seeking a Solar Sales Consultant to drive the sales of solar systems in Illinois. The successful candidate will live in the area they service, be willing to meet face to face with customers within that area and educate the customer on the benefit of solar energy. Harvest Solar provides a business-use vehicle to support home visits, cold calling, and other business travel in addition to providing the necessary equipment to establish a home office.

    Solar Sales Consultant. Location: Grand Rapids.

    Harvest Solar is seeking a Solar Sales Consultant to drive solar system sales in the Greater Grand Rapids Area. The Solar Sales Consultant is responsible for the origination of new business by identifying customer prospects, developing solar energy proposals, and executing all transactions required to consummate a sale and that meet the company sales goals. The position requires direct customer interaction to manage the customer through the entire sales process and beyond ensuring superior customer service and referral opportunities. The position will primarily focus on rural residential, agricultural, and small business opportunities.

    Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

    Public Utilities Engineer 9-P11. Location: Lansing.

    This position works on issues related to the interconnection of renewable energy resources, energy storage, electric vehicle to grid, and other distributed energy resources to the electric distribution grid and the implementation of interconnection rules and procedures in an engineering capacity. Additionally, this position will provide engineering research and analysis information on the evaluation of demand response and distributed generation programs. This position is responsible for providing recommendations regarding these areas. Also, will attend meetings with stakeholder groups, other state agencies, and regulated utility companies.

    Utopian Power

    Project Manager – Utility-Scale Solar. Location: Lansing

    The Project Manager will be responsible for managing the entire lifecycle of the solar project,
    including design, procurement, construction, commissioning, and project closeout. This is an
    onsite position, requiring the Project Manager to be present at the project location throughout its
    duration. Close collaboration with engineering, environmental, and regulatory teams as well as
    the client and subcontractors is essential.
    To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and a portfolio of relevant projects to
    Forrest Cohn at fcohn@utopianpower.com. Applications will be accepted until November 15, 2024.

    Walker-Miller Energy Services

    Outreach Manager. Location: Detroit.
    We are seeking an experienced Outreach Manager to lead the outreach and engagement for a large-scale residential energy efficiency program in Michigan. The ideal candidate will have at least 3-5 years of outreach experience and a strong understanding of energy efficiency for residential and multi-family sectors. This role requires significant experience in outreach and engagement, and managing campaigns, with diverse stakeholders.

    Field Operations Manager. Location: Detroit.
    We are seeking an experienced Field Operations Manager to lead the field team and activities for a large-scale residential energy efficiency program in Michigan. The ideal candidate will have at least 3-5 years of experience in managing a field team and a strong understanding of energy efficiency for residential and multi-family sectors. This role requires significant experience in home and building assessments, quality assurance and quality control processes, and supervising a field team.

     

    Michigan and National Energy Events

    In Lansing on Dec. 4, legislators, Staff, and Michigan EIBC members are invited to join the Institute for Energy Innovation for an Energy 101 “Breakfast + Brainstorm” session on the subject of “Minifridges, Microgrids, and MISO: Maintaining Grid Resilience at Scale,” to be held at the Mackinac Room in the Anderson House Office Building. Please contact Michigan EIBC for more information (mieibc@mieibc.org). 

     

    Opportunities

    RMI is looking for a regulatory expert to join its electricity team and help implement regulatory policies to ensure the energy transition is affordable for all. Find out more about this position here.

    The Michigan Public Service Commission has created a website tracking its progress implementing Public Acts 229, 231, 233, 234, and 235, passed on Nov. 8, 2023 and signed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer on Nov. 28.

    Rheaply, NextCycle Michigan and Michigan EGLE have launched the Michigan Materials Marketplace, which allows businesses to buy and sell excess materials so they can be reused instead of discarded.

    The State of Michigan released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a planning consultant to support planning for the Michigan Solar for All program. Proposals are due Nov. 19.

    Consumers Energy has released the RFP package for the 2024 IRP for Solar Generation Projects. Project qualification applications are due Dec. 12.

    The Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) has issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) for “up to $400 million to spur innovative, community-focused clean energy solutions in rural and remote areas across the United States.” The related Notice of Funding Opportunity is expected to be released in the fall of 2024. Find out more here.

    DTE Electric has re-opened its 2024 Renewable Energy All Source RFP. Proposals are due by Oct. 29. Links: 2024 Solar BTA – RFP. 2024 Solar PPA – RFP. 2024 Wind BTA – RFP. 2024 Wind PPA – RFP.

    Michigan EGLE is launching the Renewables Ready Communities Award (RRCA), which makes Michigan municipalities that have, on or after October 1, 2023, begun physically hosting and/or performing local permitting for any portion of an eligible renewable energy project eligible for awards of $5,000 per MW. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are depleted and there is no specific deadline. More information on this opportunity can be found on the RRCA Webpage.

    Michigan EGLE is offering at least $320,000 in funding MI Solar Communities-MI Solar Access Program. Applications will be accepted through March 31, 2025, or when funding is expended, whichever comes first. Find the request for proposals for MI Solar Access here.

    Michigan EGLE has released an RFP for grants from its Clean Energy Workforce Development Program. The application deadline is July 30, 2025.