The Michigan Land Use Institute is pleased to sign on to this letter to remind the governor and attorney general of the important legal authority they hold on behalf of Michigan’s citizens to protect our public trust in the Great Lakes. The State of Michigan retains full legal authority over all activities that occur in the waters and bottomlands of the Great Lakes-and requires complete transparency, disclosure, and accountability from Enbridge regarding the pipelines in the Straits of Mackinac.
Little reassurance at symposium on Straits pipeline
On June 24, Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council hosted the Northern Michigan Pipeline Symposium in Petoskey, bringing together state and national groups involved-or concerned-about the aging oil pipelines running through the Mackinac Straits. The event provided a forum for regulators and Enbridge, the company that owns the pipeline, to reassure the public about the threat of a spill. Unfortunately, most people left just as concerned about the risk as when they arrived.
Charlie Weaver Angling for GLE Board
Charlie Weaver, who was once a special education teacher and now guides anglers down the Manistee and Au Sable rivers in northwest Lower Michigan, is pursuing a new career. This resident of the Manistee River Valley in Kalkaska County’s Bear Lake Township is campaigning for a seat on the Great Lakes Energy Board of Directors.
Michigan Energy Fair: Still Hot after All These Years
Energy-how it’s made and how it’s used-affects everyone, particularly with rising fuel costs and growing environmental concerns. So understanding and doing something about it is appealing, particularly if it also involves fun. That’s why Michigan Energy Fair officials are confident that there will be a good turnout at the Ingham County Fair Grounds, near Mason, this Friday and Saturday for their 10th annual event.
MPSC Releases Draft Report on Solar Working Group
Solar advocates and staff from Michigan’s two largest utilities are mulling over a draft report that suggests ways the state could start catching up with the nation’s accelerating, jobs-rich boom in roof-top solar energy without raising customers’ rates significantly, if at all. Michigan Public Service Commission officials released the draft, which summarizes the work of the agency’s Solar Working Group, to group members on June 10 for their technical comments.
As Sun Sets on Solar Work Group, State to Suggest Next Steps
All the slide shows and presentations are handed in; advocates and opponents have made and rested their cases; and the state’s Solar Working Group has had its last meeting on the future of sun power in Michigan. Now it’s the Michigan Public Service Commission’s turn. MPSC staff have until June 10 to sort through piles of data and then draft a report suggesting ways the state’s top two utilities could help more customers install rooftop solar systems.