House Republican Leader Matt Hall and Rep. Pauline Wendzel, Republican vice chair of the House Energy, Communications, and Technology Committee, on Wednesday reiterated their opposition to House Democrats’ ongoing attempts to close power plants and force wind and solar farms into Michigan communities.

House Democrats on the committee approved House Bills 5120-5123, which would take away local control and give Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Michigan Public Service Commission authority to put massive solar and wind construction projects into communities over the objections of local residents and their elected officials.

Hall, R-Richland Township, said: “As Michigan Democrats try to outlaw reliable natural gas power plants, mandate unreliable wind and solar, and override local decisions, they’re ignoring the voices of the families most harmed by their radical plans. People want affordable electricity, but the left-wing plan to close power plants would drive their electric bills up. People want a say over windmills and solar farms in their communities, but Democrats know they can’t enforce their own expensive wind and solar mandates without steamrolling our communities and letting the Whitmer administration call the shots. We deserve reliable, affordable electricity and a say in our communities, not the extreme agenda of the House Democrats.”

Wendzel, R-Watervliet, said: “In one meeting, Lansing Democrats promised to continue working with stakeholders to build consensus. In the very next meeting, they bulldozed the first step of their radical Green New Deal through committee on a party-line vote. Democrats stripped authority from local communities and disenfranchised Michigan voters in rural communities across our state all to appease the climate cult. As these bills move forward, I’ll continue fighting to ensure Michiganders who made their will known at the ballot box are heard in Lansing.”

The elimination of local control is part of Democrats’ sweeping plan to mandate carbon-free electricity like wind and solar and close natural gas power plants on an extremely tight timeline — an extreme change that will lead to higher electricity costs and a less reliable electric grid.