Initiative to repeal Michigan renewable energy law won't make it to November ballot
(CBS DETROIT) — An organization working to amend a 2023 Michigan law that limits the local government's authority to block renewable projects didn't gather enough signatures to get their petition on the ballot in November.
Citizens for Local Choice needed to get at least 356,958 signatures by Wednesday for the petition to be placed on the ballot, but on Tuesday, the group released a statement saying they wouldn't meet the deadline.
"The Citizens for Local Choice ballot campaign has engaged thousands of volunteers across the state and has issued tens of thousands of petitions for signatures in an effort to restore local control of large-scale wind and solar operations," the statement said.
The group says its campaign is "strong and robust," and even though it didn't make the 2024 deadline, organizers will continue its "ambitious effort to leverage our legal 180-day window and work to secure a placement on the 2026 ballot."
The ballot initiative came after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed clean energy bills into law in 2023. These bills require Michigan companies to meet a 100% clean energy standard by 2024 and give the Michigan Public Service Commission authority over large-scale renewable energy projects.
These projects included solar, wind and battery storage, which local governments previously controlled.
The Citizens for Local Choice group was gathering signatures to repeal these requirements for renewable energy projects, allowing local governments to set their own standards.
