Sierra Club Applauds Bipartisan Community Solar Legislation

 Sierra Club Applauds Bipartisan Community Solar Legislation

 

Lansing, MI - Today, in bipartisan fashion, Reps. Rachel Hood (D) and Michele Hoitenga (R) introduced legislation (House Bills 4715-4716) to remove restrictions on community solar projects in Michigan, allowing communities, non-profits, religious institutions, and everyone from all income levels to participate in the clean energy revolution while lowering their utility bills.

 

 

In response, Tim Minotas, a Legislative and Political Coordinator with the Sierra Club’s Michigan Chapter, released the following statement:

 

“Community solar programs address the many barriers that prevent households from adopting rooftop solar, such as people who can’t afford the up-front costs, who are renting, have shaded rooftops, or don’t qualify for standard financing solutions.

 

These bills will allow all customers to go solar and save money by joining a shared solar installation located somewhere else in their community and receive a credit on their utility bill for their portion of the power produced. This is a crucial tool for mitigating expensive electricity rates and household energy burden - which is especially high in Michigan for both rural and low income communities. Overall, these bills will help improve our economic stability, provide good-paying jobs, enhance the use of cleaner sources of energy, and create a healthier Michigan.” 

 

 

 

###

Voter Suppression: Senate Elections Committee busy rushing laws to Suppress the vote in Michigan

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

Contact: 

Christy McGillivray, christy.mcgillivray@sierraclub.org

Tim Minotas, tim.minotas@sierraclub.org 

Voter Suppression: Senate Elections Committee busy rushing laws to Suppress the vote in Michigan

Lansing, MI - Today, the Michigan Senate Elections Committee, took up a handful of bills that are a part of a larger package of anti-voter legislation aimed at making it more difficult for Michiganders to vote. The justification for these bills are based on widespread lies and disinformation about the 2020 election. Senate Bill 287, one of the most concerning bills taken up in committee today, would bar local clerks from offering prepaid postage on absentee ballot envelopes, something many clerks across Michigan did to make it easier to vote.

In response, Christy McGillivray the Legislative and Political Director of Sierra Club’s Michigan Chapter, released the following statement:

“These bills should be seen for what they are– blatant voter suppression tactics aimed at slashing opportunities for all voters to participate in absentee voting. After the successful administration of our 2020 elections, in which a record number of Michiganders safely and securely cast absentee ballots, Senate Republicans are trying to make it harder for Michiganders to vote. We should be building on the successes of the 2020 election and expanding access to the ballot instead of winding back the clock and making it harder to vote.” 

###