State Rep. Sarah Lightner today voted for a plan to help lower electric bills and improve energy reliability for Michigan families who are struggling with rising monthly costs.

Lightner, R-Springport, said residents across the area have been reaching out with growing concerns about how expensive it has become just to keep their lights on.

“People are fed up with opening electric bills that keep getting higher while reliability keeps getting worse,” Lightner said. “Families are already stretched thin by the cost of groceries, gas, and everyday necessities. They should not be punished with skyrocketing energy costs because of extreme energy mandates that were forced on them by Lansing in 2023.”

Lightner said the plan focuses on making energy more affordable while ensuring Michigan families can count on reliable power during storms, extreme temperatures, and other emergencies.

House Bills 5710-5711 would refocus state energy policy on affordability and reliability by rolling back costly state mandates and requiring the Michigan Public Service Commission to prioritize whether proposed energy plans will keep costs manageable for residents and ensure power is available when needed most.

The plan would also end the use of customer utility payments to fund outside advocacy groups and require greater transparency when utilities seek rate increases.

Lightner said the reforms put the needs of working families ahead of political agendas.

“Utility bills should pay for energy service, not bankroll activists and special interests pushing policies that make energy more expensive,” Lightner said. “This plan brings some much-needed common sense back to Michigan’s energy policies.”

Lightner said she is also working with her colleagues on a separate effort to provide widespread property tax relief. Between the two measures, Michigan families would save nearly $1,400 every year through lower property taxes and lower monthly electric bills.

House Bills 5710-5711 were approved by the House on Tuesday and now advance to the Michigan Senate for further consideration.

Last year, Lightner also voted for House Bills 4027-4028 to restore local control over wind and solar projects to Michigan communities after state laws stripped local governments of their decision-making authority. Lightner said local residents and officials understand the needs of their communities far better than unelected state regulators and should have the final say on major energy projects in their areas. Those bills have been sitting in the Senate for more than a year.