Energy prices are skyrocketing. Michigan’s economy is struggling. Yet we waste enough energy to power over 40,000 households. We can do better.

Saving energy not only saves consumers and businesses money; it provides jobs for Michiganders doing things like installing insulation and furnaces and producing energy-efficient appliances. It also keeps our resources from flowing out-of-state for coal, oil and uranium.

PIRGIM is calling on state lawmakers to require utilities to implement common sense efficiency and conservation policies that help consumers lower their energy usage. Simple efficiency resources for consumers will save us all money and put Michigan on a more stable and independent energy path. But with the energy industry lobby pressuring state lawmakers for more big, expensive power plants instead, it’s time for Michiganders to take action.

Importing Fossil Fuels Is Expensive And Dirty
We’re paying out our limited financial resources to other states and countries and getting expensive, dirty fossil fuels in return.

• Michiganders spend more than $20 billion per year (over 5% of the state’s economy) to import energy resources.

• Michigan’s electricity comes from 56.7% coal, 26.4% nuclear, 13.4% natural gas and only 2% from renewables.

• We import 100% of our coal, 100% of our uranium and 75% of our natural gas.

Energy Industry Calls The Shots
The energy industry’s influence on Michigan officials keeps smarter energy policies from moving forward. DTE Energy and Consumers Energy contributed over $1.5 million to lawmakers who oversee utilities in the past three election cycles.

This money, made from our energy bills, promotes more energy use and more, expensive power plants and other energy facilities. Energy companies profit every time our energy bills rise and our meters spin, which is exactly the opposite of what Michigan’s consumers need.

Energy Efficiency: A Smarter Way
Energy efficiency is the cheapest, quickest, cleanest way to meet our energy needs. The first step is to require utilities to restart energy efficiency programs they ended in the 1990s.

By supporting residential, commercial and industrial energy efficiency, from efficient lighting to better insulation in our homes and businesses, utilities can easily reduce electrical and heating energy use by 1 percent each year. This single action, if matched by other Midwest states, could bring down home heating prices by 13 percent in five to 10 years.

PIRGIM’s Jason Barbose speaks with Fox 2 News Detroit about how President Bush’s energy plan would increase energy prices and our dependence on imported fuels.

Our State Can Be Energy Efficient
With skyrocketing energy prices and increased reliance on foreign and out-of-state coal, oil, uranium and natural gas to meet our energy needs, it’s time to stop wasting energy in Michigan.

PIRGIM is calling on our state leaders to:

• Require utilities to meet mandatory reductions in electricity as well as heating/cooling energy usage;
• Provide tax breaks, incentives and standards for energy efficient products and services;
• Ensure energy efficiency in new buildings by updating building codes; and
• Dramatically reduce energy usage by state government and provide incentives for businesses to follow state government’s lead.