August 2025
Conservative Confab Has Energy Gravitas
Conservative Energy Summit dives deep
As a member of the Conservative Energy Network (CEN), MICEF participated in CEN’s annual National Conservative Energy Summit in Cleveland, OH, August 25-27. The event featured heavy hitters, including Federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair David Wright, data center experts from Google and Amazon-AWS , state and federal legislators, experts on transmission and many more taking the stage. As expected, there was much discussion about how the Big Beautiful Bill Act is reshaping the energy landscape.
In addition to valuable networking opportunities during the Summit, MICEF executive director, Ed Rivet was privileged to join a tour of the Perry nuclear plant in Perry, OH, east of Cleveland. With the increasing demand for energy and renewed interest in nuclear generation, the tour group was brief ed on the facilities plan to extend its license and productive life for decades to come. With the Palisades plant in west Michigan expected to restart this fall, Michigan will benefit greatly from its clean, reliable energy.
State Siting Law Continues Slow Roll Out
PA 233 not a quick, silver bullet
Public Act 233 of 2023 provides an alternative path for renewable energy developers to get projects permitted by applying for approval with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). After years of being thwarted by local zoning restrictions, there were high expectations that developers would quickly take advantage of the state approval process. Thus far, only one application has been submitted to the MPSC, a 90 MW solar project in southern Ingham County by Ranger Power.
Action on the application has also been slowed after MPSC staff requested a substantial amount of additional information from Ranger Power toward their application. Staff indicated that they would proceed very deliberately with the first few applications to make sure “they get it right.” Other developers appear to be holding back on applying until they see what the MPSC considers a “complete” application. While we anticipate more applications will come in the remainder of this year, there doesn’t appear to be a surge of them in the immediate horizon.
It’s Summer Event Season
MICEF, Land & Liberty hit the road
With summer comes “fair season.” MICEF and Michigan Land & Liberty Coalition® team conduct public education by way of vendor booths at local fairs and events. The L&LC team has been present at multiple regional state fairs from Imlay City to Ludington and Escanaba, while MICEF sponsored and tabled at the Clean Cruise 2025 EV promotional event in Royal Oak. We’re always ready to take our conservative energy message on the road.
Counting Carbon Reduction Not So Easy
Researchers challenged by “albedo effect”
We’ve all heard of the “greenhouse effect” – how certain gases in the atmosphere trap heat energy from sunlight reaching the earth’s surface. But what about the albedo effect? That’s the phenomenon of earth surface features that reflect light back toward space, not absorbing and converting as much sunlight to heat. Snow, bright soils and even grasslands can exhibit the albedo effect.
Researchers have recently posited that planting green foliage in these places as a “carbon sink” strategy might be making things worse. A paper published in Nature by University of Utah researchers, and a separate study released by the U.S. Forest Service, both noted that counting the carbon-reducing value tree planting needs to take the loss of albedo effect into account. The Forest Service said their calculations “may temper expectations for forest establishment as a means of mitigating global climate change.”
