Note: The following column was published by the Lapeer County Press on Saturday, April 11:

As energy prices continue to rise for workers and families, the state and its elected leaders must prioritize affordability and reliability.

A new plan that was introduced in the Michigan House puts taxpayers and ratepayers back at the center of energy policy by focusing on real-world needs and common-sense solutions.

First, let’s start with some background.

The unelected, governor-appointed Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) is in charge of approving new utility rates and expansions to our grid. Did you know that this commission has approved $1 billion in rate hikes on utility customers since 2023? That’s a crazy and unsustainable number! And there’s no sign that these rate hikes are tapering off in the years ahead.

A big reason for these increases is a series of mandates that were passed by the Legislature in 2023 and signed into law by the governor. Those mandates force utility companies to follow politically motivated ideology instead of focusing on what was effective and what people and job providers can afford. Instead of having a diversified energy portfolio that kept costs lower and ensuring we have enough energy available for people to heat their homes and companies to run manufacturing plants, Michigan’s leaders at the time pushed for utilities to run with 100% clean energy by 2040. The result of that has been utility companies spending billions of dollars on clean energy compliance and efficiency to help meet the mandates, with costs being passed down to consumers.

The new House Republican plan would bring needed change to the MPSC’s approach. Along with repealing the 2023 requirements, the commission would have to evaluate energy plans based on what they cost the public and how they impact the grid, including during winter and summer months where demand is higher. Simply put — if a recommendation or plan doesn’t serve the public by ensuring decisions are based on affordability for customers and how reliable energy can be delivered, that recommendation or plan wouldn’t go anywhere.

By loosening these rigid bureaucratic mandates and others, the plan will allow utilities to build and operate new power plants based on what strengthens our grid and what provides the people with the most competitive price. I was pleased to see Consumers Energy’s recent announcement of a new natural gas plant in Thetford Township in Genesee County that can deliver fast, reliable power. Once completed, the new facility will operate on a repurposed site and is one of two planned plants for the region, with the other located in Bay County. Combined, they would provide 1.5 gigawatts of power supply capacity, which would be capable of serving hundreds of thousands of homes rain or shine.

In addition to this plan, I voted for legislation last year that would return decision-making to local communities on large-scale solar and wind projects. While rural areas, including across the Thumb, are already home to alternative energy operations, previous law granted the MPSC additional power to pre-empt local leaders and input when it came to siting and zoning — regardless of potential concerns with property values, small business viability, available farmland, noise levels and other impacts. Local voices and livelihoods should not be cast aside in favor of Lansing bureaucrats with unilateral power to mandate how property will be used.

Politically driven decisions have increased our energy bills and cost the average family $120 every year, which could be going to other needs. We need to look at what works and what doesn’t and what’s practical and what isn’t. It is time to make affordability and reliability core principles of our state’s energy policy. This will allow families to save and Michigan to be competitive as a state.