Conservatives praise Snyder’s creation of Michigan Agency for Energy

LANSING – Larry Ward, executive director of the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum (MCEF), issued the following statement regarding Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal to create the Michigan Agency for Energy:

“The Michigan Conservative Energy Forum applauds Gov. Snyder for consolidating government through the Michigan Agency for Energy.  This new office will streamline state government and position the state to meet the governor’s goals of a ‘No Regrets’ energy future that’s adaptable, reliable, affordable and protects our air, land and water.”

“Gov. Snyder’s focus on energy policy reaffirms his dedication to job creation and growing the economy. We look forward to working with Gov. Snyder and Valerie Brader to build upon the success we’ve seen in Michigan’s thriving clean energy sector.”

Recent studies by The Hill Group, Inc. found tremendous opportunity to spur economic growth and support Michigan jobs by increasing our use of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Key findings include:

• Implementing a 20% renewable energy standard by 2025 could have a $6 billion impact, with 40,000 jobs supported.
• Removing the cap on the energy optimization program could create $22 billion in economic output and support 163,000 jobs.