LANSING, Mich. – Michigan Democrats introduced a bill that would codify the state’s electric storage goals listed in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan.
State Rep. Jenn Hill (D-Marquette) introduced House Bill 4256 last week. It would set a statewide requirement of achieving 2,500 megawatts of grid-based energy storage by 2030.
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“Supplying our state with a robust energy reserve is going to make our supply of electricity more reliable, more efficient and more affordable,” Hill said. “This will be a major step toward energy security for the Upper Peninsula, and I’ll be working hard to get it signed into law.”
The bill would ensure that the grid would be equipped to discharge small amounts of storage reserves to respond to fluctuations in demand, Democrats said in a press release. This would allow for energy generation facilities to continue running efficiently. Democrats said the efficiency improvements would create savings that could be passed on to customers across Michigan.
The bill would require the Michigan Public Service Commission to complete a study to figure out how much long-duration energy storage is needed in Michigan, according to the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council. The council said at least 50% of the systems would not be utility-owned.
The MI Healthy Climate Plan was published by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy in April 2022. It lays out a broad vision for making the Michigan economy carbon neutral by 2050.