This newsletter was originally published on April 25, 2016.

Don’t Miss Out: Michigan EIBC Annual Member Meeting Just One Week Away!
With the Michigan EIBC Annual Member Meeting only a week away, seats are going fast. Last week we added additional speakers and conference sponsors – including Consumers Energy and CLEAResult – so register today! The Annual Member Meeting will be held Wednesday, May 4 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing.

This full-day conference provides attendees an opportunity to network, learn about innovations in advanced energy and get an overview on the latest policy developments in Lansing. The meeting will feature an opening dialogue with Consumers Energy’s incoming CEO Patti Poppe and The Honorable Sally Talberg, Chair of the Michigan Public Service Commission. 

We will have a number of break-out panels throughout the day, including:

• Innovations in Transportation: Discussion to highlight the big trends that are transforming transportation – including electrification, lightweighting and connected vehicles.
• Taking Advantage of the ITC/PTC: What Are the Next Five Years for Renewable Energy: How are utilities and independent developers taking advantage of the five years of certainty regarding the ITC and PTC, and what might the next five years look like for renewable development in Michigan and the Midwest?
• Media Perspectives Panel: Discussion of all things energy related – political landscape, legislation, and 2016 elections.
• How To Think Big in Small Place: Energy Innovations in Rural Communities, Industrial Parks, and Downtowns
• The Changing Landscape of Energy Efficiency: Demand Response, ESCOs, and Where We Go From Here

A partial list of our panelists include:

• Andy Balaskovitz, Midwest Energy News
• Mathias Bell, Manager – Market Development and Regulatory Affairs, Opower
• Myles Burnsed, Director of New Markets, groSolar
• Liesl Eichler Clark, President, Michigan EIBC
• Lawrence Drzal, Director – Vehicles Technology Area, Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation
• Scott Ferguson, Vice President of Energy and Sustainability, Rockford Construction
• Zach Gorchow, Gongwer News Service
• Robert Jackson, , Manager, Michigan Energy Office
• Emily Lawler, MLive
• Andy Levin, President, Lean & Green Michigan
• Marc Lewis, Vice President of Regulatory and External Affairs, Indiana Michigan Power
• Doug Luciani, , CEO, TraverseCONNECT
• Melanie McCoy, Superintendent, Sebewaing Light and Water
• Kyle Melinn, Michigan Information and Research Service
• Shane VanCise, Energy Solutions Account Executive, Johnson Controls

Michigan EIBC members receive a $75 discount on event registration. This full day conference includes lunch.

Reserve your seat today!

Sponsorship opportunities are available, and most come with the opportunity to exhibit at the event. Please contact Nicole Forward at nicole@mieibc.org for more information.

EVENT SPONSORS:

Interested in membership with Michigan EIBC? New members receive a first-year introductory rate of $350. Please contact us for more information.

 

New/Renewing Members

UtilityBoost

UtilityBoost is a technology and services provider that equips utility companies with consumer-centered solutions that boosts customer engagement and improves organizational performance. Leveraging utility investments in technology and human capital, we deliver outcomes that empower financially vulnerable households by promoting, affordability, predictability, transparency and control of energy usage and spending. We ensure maximum return on smart-energy infrastructure through behavioral strategies that improve bill payment performance, lowers operating costs and increases customer satisfaction.

Michigan Energy Options

Michigan Energy Options (MEO) is a nonprofit that has been in business since 1978. From our offices in East Lansing and Marquette, we pursue daily our mission of guiding communities toward being more sustainable and resilient through the adoption of more energy efficiency and renewable energy. We do this by providing our unbiased expertise, research and our results-driven programs, all the while working collaboratively with local governments, businesses and community leaders.

 

Michigan Energy News Brief

The Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group released a report that the Clean Power Plan would actually raise electricity costs. The Detroit News released an editorial piece highlighting it. Michigan EIBC’s sister organization, the Institute for Energy Innovation (IEI) release a report last year that came to the opposite conclusion. You can read IEI’s report here.  

Consumers Energy was granted a $40 million rate increase on natural gas by the Michigan Public Service Commission, read more in the Crain’s Detroit Business story.

The Union of Concerned Scientists released another report highlighting the economic advantages if Michigan aggressively added more renewables and energy efficiency to their portfolio.

The US Green Buildings Council West Michigan Chapter held its second annual energy summit, honoring 16 buildings that made significant energy use reductions, WZZM reports.

Wind energy continues to be a contentious issue in Huron County, with the possibility of a referendum being put on the ballot, according to a Huron Tribune story.

Mlive has a story about Brian Geerlings, a Zeeland area farmer whose methane digester is producing enough power to eliminate his electric bill and make $50 thousand in carbon credits.

Consumers Energy solar garden by Grand Valley State University’s campus is now generating power, Crain’s Detroit Business reports.

Bob Chapman, Executive Director of Michigan Interfaith Power and Light, has an op-ed in the Farmington Voice about the area competing in the national Georgetown University energy efficiency competition.

 

National Energy News Brief

Yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell filed a cloture motion to end debate and bring the energy appropriations bill up for a vote. There is no indication that Senate Democrats are going to oppose the legislation, despite White House Concerns, the Hill reports.

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced an amendment to the senate energy appropriations bill that would keep wind research funding at $95.4 million for FY 2017, rather than reduce it to $80 million.

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg penned an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune about how the US can reach the goals from the Paris agreement even without the Clean Power Plan.

Renewables continue to be a bipartisan issue, as more and more Republicans back pro-renewable policies as a tool for job creation and cutting costs, Bloomberg reports.

Bill Gates was interviewed in the MIT Technology Review, where he stated he supports further supply-side investment in clean energy technologies over a carbon-tax.

SunEdison’s CEO Ahmad Chatila remains in his position, despite the multi-billion company filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, Bloomberg reports.

SolarCity, SunPower and SunEdison announced a partnership with six New York utilities to give a compensation model to solar users that is supported by both sides. USA Today has the story.

Utility Dive highlights that US utilities spent $400 million over the last 5 years in lobbying efforts and campaign contributions in both state and federal governments.

 

Michigan Events

The Engineering Society of Detroit – together with DTE Energy – is hosting its annual Energy Conference and Exhibition on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
 
The 4th Annual Michigan EIBC Members Meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 4 at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center in East Lansing. Registration is available here; contact Nicole Forward for sponsorship information.
 
The 2016 Michigan CHP Conference will be held Tuesday, May 10 at Oakland University in Rochester. The theme for this year’s conference is “Moving to Clean Energy with Combined Heat and Power: Matching CHP Customers to Suppliers.” Register here.
 
The Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association is hosting the Michigan Energy Fair on June 24-25 at the Ingham County Fairgrounds in Mason. This year’s Fair also boasts the Great Lakes Emergency Preparedness Expo and the Sustainable Living Summit 2016.
 

National Events

AWEA’s annual WINDPOWER event will take place May 23-26 in New Orleans.
 
Intersolar North America will take place July 12-14 in San Francisco.
 
Solar Power International is scheduled for September 12-15 in Las Vegas.
 
The Battery Show, collocated with the Critical Power Expo and Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Technology Expo, will be held in Novi from September 13-15.

Additional Resources
 
Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) is home to PowerSuite, a suite of tools that allows companies a one-stop on-line portal to search, track, and collaborate on state legislation and regulatory proceedings from around the country.
 
PowerSuite includes both BillBoard, the AEE dashboard for managing state legislation, and DocketDash, the AEE dashboard for managing state public utility commission proceedings. Subscription required.
 
SolarPermit.org is a national solar permitting database that provides information on permitting for solar in jurisdictions across the country. The database includes a variety of information, from average permit turnaround times, to information required to be included in the permit, to contact information for individual jurisdictions. You can browse the requirements for the Michigan cities included in the database here.
 
The U.S. Department of Energy is offering A Guide to Federal Finance Facilities Available for Energy Efficiency Upgrades and Clean Energy Deployment. The downloadable guide provides information about the various federal financing programs available for energy efficiency and renewable energy — making it easier for state, local and tribal leaders, along with their partners in the private sector, to find capital for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.
 
The Department of Energy has offers free public access to accepted peer-reviewed manuscripts or published scientific journal articles from projects funded by the DOE within 12 months of publication.