FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

News from Clear the Air

April 15, 2026

***Media Advisory***

Contact: Kim Hunter [email protected]  313-287-2992

Watch Press Conference:
 

Clear the Air partners  in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids host family friendly events from tree planting to health screenings

MICHIGAN – Clear the Air partners  from Grand Rapids, Flint and Detroit will join a virtual press conference to announce the group’s third annual statewide slate of events for Air Quality Awareness Week. This year, activities run the gamut from tree planting to health screenings to community gatherings with food and conversation. 

Residents who attend the community conversations will have a chance to build or win air filters for their homes to protect their families from wildfire smoke and local sources of pollution. Attendees will also learn how to contact regulators and elected officials to urge them to combat air pollution and protect health. 

Air Quality Awareness Week is a national observance to increase awareness of the need to reduce and remove sources of air pollution and the health hazards that come with it. This year, it officially runs from May 4 to May 8. Clear the Air will begin its statewide week of observance with a tree planting with Arboretum Detroit, Saturday May 2. More information is available at www.ClearTheAirMI.org. 

What: Press Conference - Statewide Events for Air Quality Awareness Week 
Who: Clear the Air member groups in Grand Rapids, Flint and Detroit 
 

• Raquel Garcia, Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision

• Ned Andree, Community Collaboration for Climate Change (C4)

• Nancy Morales Community Collaboration for Climate Change (C4)

• Patrick McNeal, North Flint Neighborhood Action Council

• Mona Munroe-Younis, Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint North Flint Neighborhood Action Council 

• Lucas Aguirre, Eastside Community Network

• Salam Beydoun, Ecology Center

When: Thursday, April 30, 10:00 a.m.

Where: On Zoom, Register here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ptdCn9fDSsqcBY0XeXYDsw
 

***

Clear The Air  is a coalition of concerned residents, community groups, and environmental justice organizations working to protect Michiganders health by working for everyone’s right to a clean, safe, healthy environment. Our goal is to build a stronger movement to protect clean air, promote environmental justice, build collaboration on air quality issues, and advance policies that protect clean air and public health in Southeast Michigan and across the state.

By Mike Garfield, Director of the Ecology Center

On the first Earth Day in 1970, 20 million people joined together in thousands of events around the U.S. in what was then the largest protest in world history. Of all the nation’s events, the “Teach-In on the Environment” in Ann Arbor drew the largest crowd, attracting 50,000 people in the community. The event marked the launch of the modern environmental movement, and led to the passage of the country’s foundational laws for clean air, clean water, and environmental protection. It also led to the creation of the Ecology Center.

Over the decades, Earth Day took on a gentler and less confrontational manner. Featuring tree plantings, river clean-ups, and kids’ activities, most Earth Day celebrations today are joyous and apolitical. Some even attract corporate sponsors. These gatherings broaden the audience for environmental action, and the Ecology Center sponsors and participates in a number of events taking place in southeast Michigan.

But it’s important to never forget the origin story of Earth Day. Especially now.

Today, the Trump Administration is threatening to overturn virtually all of the bedrock environmental laws and safeguards that were adopted in the 1970s. The Administration has begun the process of rolling back hundreds of legal protections, shuttered federal environment and public health divisions, and eliminated vital scientific research. They have been hard at work on that project since their first day back in office, when President Trump issued an Energy Emergency executive order that put the backsliding in motion.

We have been hard at work too. Our partners have been challenging unconstitutional orders in court. We’ve been fighting back in state legislatures, and joining together with other movements and ordinary citizens in mass protests all year long. Little by little, our protests are bearing results, even if the outcome is still uncertain.

The Ecology Center supports these efforts to push back, and we’ve doubled down on our work to support the communities most impacted by environmental injustice.

• We advocate with, and for, communities across Michigan whose water and land have been contaminated with PFAS.
• We work with, and for, families and communities who’ve suffered from lead poisoning, providing them with resources, and getting them involved in policy debates.
• We work with, and for, communities hard-hit by asthma and other health problems caused by high levels of air pollution.
• We work on behalf of families forced to choose between paying their heating bill and their grocery bill, and with the social service agencies that support them to fix energy policy.
• And, we fight for regulations surrounding new data centers, so impacted residents are guaranteed transparency and know they have a voice in the use of their local resources.

Best wishes to all on this year’s Earth Day. Whether you prefer to celebrate at a festival or a protest march, please don’t forget what we’re celebrating. It wasn’t easy to get rights and protections for people and the planet in the first place. And we need to keep on fighting to keep them. 

By Yuki Nakayama, Ecology Center Writer

In celebration of Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March, the Ecology Center wants to spotlight Theresa Landrum, a crucial figure for environmental justice efforts in Southeast Detroit. Recently, her efforts as a Sierra Club Member led to the historic February 17th federal ruling that ordered DTE and EES Coke to pay a $100 million civil penalty and a $20 million investment for community health projects for violating the Clean Air Act. As a resident of Detroit’s 48217, Landrum describes her entry into environmental justice work as a necessity. “I wasn’t trained or desired to be [an environmental justice advocate]. It was out of necessity," she says. 

Theresa grew up in Detroit’s 48217, an area known as one of the most polluted zip codes in Michigan. The area always had heavy industry presence that caused grey air, foul smell, ground sinking/cracking, disruptive and damaging levels of noise, and many other visible and tangible consequences. Her parents washed “dust” off their cars every morning before leaving for work.

In her childhood, health conditions — like the prevalence of asthma — were normalized without knowing industrial pollution was the cause. During our conversation, Theresa talked about how many neighbors and family members were diagnosed with cancer — an unmistakable pattern that revealed just how deeply pollution had shaped daily life in her community. Every person she mentioned that dealt with cancer reemphasized how grave the impact of industrial pollution was on her hometown. 

The Right To Speak For The Community

There was no singular incident that led her down the path of activism — the everyday reality of living in 48217 motivated her to take action. For example, the community was excluded from the evacuation order during the 2003 Northeast Blackout, despite being closest to the factories that lost power to their pollution control systems. Residents were only able to evacuate because they were able to hear the information secondhand.

When there was a class-action lawsuit against Marathon Oil after the 2003 incident, residents of 48217 only managed to be included because they rushed to the courthouse after a resident happened to read about it at the last minute. The lawsuit ultimately did not serve the residents’ best interests, so instead, the community organized to provide legal support to residents to individually sue the company.

When local authorities tasked with keeping people safe fail to fulfill their duties, impacted communities are forced to take matters into their own hands for their survival. Landrum stressed that advocacy work is crucial because, “We [the residents] have the right to speak for the community,” as they are harmed by the pollution everyday. 

She was not alone in noticing the necessity to speak up and speak for the community. Dr. Dolores Leonard and Rhonda Anderson — local residents, long-time members of the Sierra Club, and advocates for environmental protections — were significant collaborators for Landrum since the beginning. Her work in and for the community led her to become the current president of the Original United Citizens of Southeast Detroit and has facilitated many other important developments that paved the way for the recent federal ruling.

Testing Soil For PFAS at the Gordie Howe Bridge Site

We have collaborated with Landrum on many projects, including testing for PFAS in the soil at the Gordie Howe Bridge Construction Site, which we covered in a previous story. It was Landrum who wanted to focus the Ecology Center’s attention on soil testing at the site, going beyond the traditional water testing of the time. 

Her concerns for PFAS started in 2017 as more articles about the dangerous levels of PFAS contamination across the globe started to come out. She felt the ubiquity of PFAS and the urgency to address it when “[she] was only able to find one item in her entire home that did not already contain PFAS” while preparing for an environmental justice-themed game for her Christmas party.

At the time, most PFAS discussions and testing focused on water. But her lived experience in 48217 — seeing contaminated dust, debris, soil, and more — told her to test the earth. Construction projects create a lot of dust and particles that spread through the wind. She “felt a strong need to test the soil to show the importance of testing PFAS in various forms” and to see the full picture of contamination. 

“Pollution has no borders” 

Landrum urges us to act now by stressing that “pollution has no borders.” Pollution does not discriminate: It directly impacts everyone regardless of gender, race, class, age, or location. As corporations continue to pollute, the lines drawn between our neighborhoods are arbitrary. 

While certain communities are impacted before others, no one is truly safe or protected from pollution unless we all are. As awareness spreads and local testing increases, Landrum says more and more people, even those far away from 48217, are reaching out to her seeking advice. This is why strong prevention measures are necessary along with accelerating clean up efforts. 

We must recognize the work by advocates like Landrum who have been forced to be on the frontlines and continue to lead the fight for our collective future. We cannot forget the enormous sacrifices these activists have made to dedicate themselves to environmental justice. 

Thank you, Theresa Landrum, for your decades of advocacy work. Your dedication and generosity continues to inspire us and teach us the power of community care.

By Markus Merin, Rackham Graduate School Environmental Storyteller Fellow

For years, West Michigan communities have struggled with high levels of PFAS contamination in their water supplies and soil. The Ecology Center has worked to educate lawmakers about PFAS harm to public health, and the health complications these substances can cause in children in particular. The Ecology Center and our coalition partner, the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network, supports Michigan Senate Bills 298 and 299, which would provide free blood testing for PFAS in children in three heavily-impacted West Michigan counties. 

West Michigan’s Trouble with PFAS

Decades ago in the small town of Belmont, Michigan, tannery waste from one of the country’s largest shoe manufacturers, Wolverine Worldwide, contaminated groundwater for miles. Scotchgard, with its water-repellant properties made from toxic PFOS and PFOA chemicals, quietly leached into nearby household wells. 

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are a class of some 15,000 manmade chemicals. Starting in the 1940s, PFAS have been used in countless products, from cosmetics and water-resistant clothing to firefighting foam and paint. While we might throw away the items they are used in, PFAS - commonly called “forever chemicals,” continue to contaminate our soils and water supplies, especially around industrial and waste sites. These chemicals build up stubbornly in our environment and have been linked to an increasing number of health problems ranging from high cholesterol to thyroid disorders and cancer.

The tannery waste site in Belmont closed in the seventies. But the PFAS chemicals remained in the groundwater and, consequently, in many families’ drinking water. Families spent decades unknowingly drinking contaminated water, and PFAS manufactures hid the fact that PFAS could build up in blood and lead to adverse health impacts. 

Belmont’s struggle is far from unique. There are now over 300 identified sites in Michigan contaminated with PFAS. Drinking water is a major route of PFAS exposure, and the state estimates that around 15% of Michigan residents have been drinking water from sources contaminated by PFAS.

Across West Michigan, communities in Kent, Ottawa, and Kalamazoo counties continue to deal with considerable PFAS contamination in groundwater and surface water. Municipalities in these counties continue to pay for water filtration and testing. 

Many people have endured thyroid disorders, cancers, and emotional stress. Local ponds are deemed unsafe for fishing. 

Policy Solutions

Now, with the support of state coordination and resources, families exposed to PFAS in West Michigan have an opportunity to understand their blood PFAS levels more fully. In areas with known exposure, like Belmont, blood testing for PFAS can be the first step toward monitoring potential adverse health effects. However, PFAS blood testing is not currently covered by health insurance, and without state support and coordination to fill this gap, blood tests can cost $300-$600 per sample.

To address this, a bipartisan group of Michigan lawmakers introduced legislation in 2025 to establish a pilot program that would provide free blood testing for children in West Michigan counties impacted by PFAS contamination including Kent, Ottawa, and Kalamazoo. Parents would be able to work with clinicians to request blood testing for children potentially exposed to PFAS. The samples would be processed at the state’s testing lab and results shared with the parents. Parents would be given information on the health impacts of PFAS exposure and, with parental consent, blood samples could be shared with research institutions to continue investigation into the health impacts of forever chemicals.

The pilot program focuses on children because the long-term health effects of childhood PFAS exposure can be considerable. Exposure during fetal development and throughout childhood increases the risk of lifelong health issues for children. PFAS can impact bone development and increase the risk of osteoporosis. Hormonal disruption caused by PFAS exposure can alter the onset of puberty in girls. Immune dysfunction caused by exposure may lead to decreased vaccine efficacy in children.

Understanding PFAS levels in blood is an important part of medical monitoring for polluted communities. The National Academies recommends monitoring PFAS concentrations to inform clinical care of exposed patients. 

The Ecology Center partners with PFAS-impacted communities through the Great Lakes PFAS Action Network. These communities are at the forefront to secure health-based care and peace of mind from further contamination. Affordable access to PFAS blood testing is a top policy priority for GLPAN’s community members. The Ecology Center supports the work GLPAN’s co-chair, Sandy Wynn-Stelt, has done to elevate this issue to Michigan lawmakers. The success of this pilot program could pave the way to expand testing for people exposed to PFAS statewide. 

Michigan children exposed to PFAS contamination deserve medical care that can respond to their needs, and their parents have the right to know what’s in their child’s blood in order to make informed decisions about their medical care. Now, we need the legislature to take action on this critical health issue and support access to PFAS blood testing for children in West Michigan and eventually across the entire state. 

Watch: PFAS Impact Stories from our Communities 

Sources:

• Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. PFA Exposure May Delay Girls’ Puberty.
• Minucci, Angela. Michigan issues 'Do Not Eat" fish advisory for PFAS in Kent County ponds.
• National Academies. Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up.
• Safer States. Science Review: PFAS, Covid-19, and the Immune System.
• Sen. Huizenga, Rep. Rogers unveil bipartisan PFAS testing legislation.
• Sigvaldsen, Annika, Erich Batzella, Christine Dalgård, et al. 2025. “Prenatal and postnatal exposure to perfluoroalkyl substances and bone mineral density in 9-year-old children from the Odense Child Cohort.” Environmental Research 286 (December): 122936. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.122936.
• Wynn-Stelt, Sandy. Wynn-Stelt: PFAS-impacted families deserve peace of mind. The Detroit News. June 29, 2025.

This proposal would leave Michigan families paying more for less reliable power

Lansing, MI – Michigan energy experts, consumer advocates, health professionals, and business leaders today voiced opposition to legislation announced in the Michigan House that would weaken the state’s historic 2023 clean energy laws. The laws are already helping Michigan reduce long-term energy costs, improve grid reliability, and increase transparency at a time when residents are paying higher bills, experiencing more frequent outages, and seeing electricity demand rise.

The draft legislation proposes changes to Michigan’s clean energy and energy waste reduction plan and revisions to Public Service Commission oversight provisions that energy experts say would remove important guardrails designed to protect ratepayers.

“Michiganders want affordability and accountability, not these rollbacks that are disguised as reform. Our high energy burdens stem from long-standing utility performance issues, not clean energy. Clean energy remains the most affordable new power available today, and outdated sources are becoming increasingly expensive for families. We need to preserve the 2023 Clean Energy Laws and ensure stronger oversight so rate hikes actually improve our grid, not pad corporate payouts,” said Alexis Blizman, Legislative & Policy Director of Ecology Center.

Consumer advocates emphasized that the proposal does nothing to address the real drivers of rising utility bills. Over the past year alone, utilities have requested or received more than a billion dollars in rate increases while residents continue to experience service disruptions and reliability challenges.

Research and regulatory analysis show that some of the most effective tools for controlling energy costs are programs that reduce energy waste. Michigan’s energy efficiency and Energy Waste Reduction (EWR) programs saved customers roughly $1 billion in electricity costs last year, according to state regulatory data. Weakening those standards would eliminate one of the state’s most proven strategies for lowering household energy bills.

“When energy systems fail or costs rise, the harm is felt most by communities that have historically been left out of energy decision-making. Michigan’s clean energy laws begin to shift that dynamic by strengthening oversight and serving the public’s interest with more affordable, reliable electricity. Weakening these protections would deepen existing inequities and move the state away from a more just and resilient energy future,” said Dr. Denise M. Keele, Executive Director of Michigan Climate Action Network.

Clean energy solutions like wind, solar, battery storage, and energy efficiency help reduce long-term costs, while outdated fossil fuel facilities have become increasingly expensive and contribute to unhealthy and unsafe conditions for communities. 

Supporters of this legislation have suggested that clean energy policies are contributing to rising electricity costs. Yet, wind and solar are among the cheapest sources of new energy generation available. 

“Rolling back Michigan’s 2023 energy laws would be a direct hit on working families. These policies don’t just lower costs — they create jobs and help Michigan unlock more energy to meet growing demand. Repealing them now couldn’t come at a worse time. It would mean higher bills, less energy when we desperately need it, and fewer opportunities for Michigan workers. At a time when federal mismanagement is straining energy supply, Michigan must stay the course. Families deserve affordable, dependable energy and good-paying clean energy jobs — not policy whiplash,” said Courtney Brady, Evergreen Action State Advocacy Director.

Michigan’s current clean energy plan was designed to ensure the state can meet growing electricity demand while maintaining strong oversight of utility spending. The current laws support a diverse mix of energy resources, giving regulators multiple cost-effective options to maintain reliable service.

Rolling back clean energy standards would slow deployment of these cost-saving resources and make it harder for Michigan to meet rising energy demand. Businesses and local governments rely on predictable energy costs and reliable service when planning for the future. Michigan's clean energy laws provide that certainty by modernizing the grid and supporting long-term planning as the state meets rising demand, without shifting higher costs onto residents.

Energy experts say lawmakers should instead focus on policies that strengthen accountability for utility spending, expand access to cost-saving energy solutions, and ensure Michigan’s power system remains reliable and affordable for the future.

“When energy prices rise, it is local households and small businesses that feel it first. Michigan’s clean energy laws are reining in utility costs and saving Michiganders money on their utility bills. Weakening these laws would see Michigan’s electric rates go even higher at a time when affordability matters most,” said Charlotte Jameson, Chief Policy Officer of Michigan Environmental Council. 

"Michigan’s clean energy laws were passed to protect ratepayers, cut pollution, and position our state as a leader in the clean energy economy. Attempts to weaken these laws would undermine the progress we’ve made and risk locking Michiganders into more expensive and polluting energy sources. The focus should be on building a cleaner, more affordable energy system, not turning back the clock," said Tim Minotas, Legislative and Political Director, Michigan Sierra Club

“We work directly with families and communities who are already having to choose between paying their energy bills and covering other basic needs. Michigan’s clean energy laws help reduce wasted energy in homes and keep costs from climbing even higher. Rolling these protections back would hit households hardest where energy bills already take up too much of a family’s budget,” said Briana DuBose, Executive Director of EcoWorks.

“Low-income communities and neighborhoods that have long faced higher pollution levels are the first to feel the impacts of rising energy costs and the last to see improvements when the grid fails — all which contribute significantly to negative health outcomes. The 2023 clean energy laws protect human health by giving these residents a real chance at cleaner air, lower long-term costs, and a more reliable energy system. Weakening them would reinforce the inequities that have shaped Michigan’s energy landscape for generations,” said Teresa Homsi, Executive Director of Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action.

“Michigan residents deserve energy policies that lower costs and hold utilities accountable. Michigan’s clean energy transition is about building a system that works for people, not just utilities. Rolling back these laws would make it harder to lower costs, improve reliability, and ensure that residents have a real voice in how our energy system is shaped,” said Shimekia Nichols, Executive Director of Soulardarity.

The following organizations also signed onto this statement:

• Michigan Environmental Council 

• Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action

• Michigan Climate Action Network

• EcoWorks

• Great Lakes Business Network

• Elevate

• NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)

• Michigan Interfaith Power & Light

• Sierra Club

• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America - Michigan Chapter

• Michigan League of Conservation Voters

By Trilby MacDonald, Ecology Center Writer

Michigan residents pay among the highest energy rates in the U.S. and experience the longest power outages and the second highest number of winter power outages. Utility assistance calls dominate Michigan’s 2-1-1 emergency support line, and record low temperatures have forced more Michiganders to make heat or eat decisions. With massive data center projects actively proposed in at least 10 Michigan communities, we need affordable and reliable renewable energy more than ever. 

Renewable energy reduces the need for continuous rate hikes to update Michigan’s aging and overburdened electrical grid, and is substantially more resilient in winter weather. Moreover, renewables are not subject to geopolitical forces that cause fossil fuel prices to surge, as they are now.  

Despite the obvious need to diversify our energy system, House Republicans passed a budget that makes it harder for Michiganders to reduce energy costs by accessing renewable energy and improving the efficiency of their homes. To make matters worse, they are running a misinformation campaign to push through a raft of legislation that would unwind the 2023 clean energy legislation. 

“Michiganders want affordability and accountability, not these rollbacks that are disguised as reform. Our high energy burdens stem from long-standing utility performance issues, not clean energy. Clean energy remains the most affordable new power available today, and outdated sources are becoming increasingly expensive for families. We need to preserve the 2023 Clean Energy Laws and ensure stronger oversight so rate hikes actually improve our grid, not pad corporate payouts,” says Alexis Blizman, Legislative & Policy Director of Ecology Center.

Rate Hikes Hit Vulnerable People the Hardest

Consumers Energy increased electricity rates by 2.8% in April and gas rates by 8.1% in September, 2025. In November, 2024, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel intervened in DTE’s request to hike natural gas rates by 10% ($237 million annually), stating “If recent history tells us anything, it’s that this new rate hike request will be filled with costs that simply cannot be justified.” The MPSC approved a 4.6% rate increase ($242.4 million) for DTE in March to upgrade the grid, citing recent gains in reliability as justification for continued rate hikes.

A portion of the increases goes to investments in energy waste reduction programs (ERW) and measures for ratepayers. The MPSC 2025 annual report said that these investments will save Michiganders $1.4 billion over the next 12-years. For every dollar utilities spent on EWR programs in 2024, customers see $2.40 of benefits, the report concludes.

While significant, energy efficiency savings will not offset new rate increases. Michiganders pay 18% more than the U.S. average, up 11% since January, 2025. We know that rate hikes have a big impact on low income people, communities of color, and people on fixed incomes. “But I would tell you, one of the things that I think most people don’t understand is that it’s their neighbor who’s suffering,” says Sarah Kile, Director of Community and Partner Engagement for Michigan 211, the emergency support line that connects residents to essential health and human services. “We often ask about the composition of the household, and we find most of the time it’s people who are working people who might be even in retirement,” she says. 211 also encourages callers to reduce their utility bills through programs like The Weatherization Assistance Program. “We’re looking at ways of making those energy audits and energy waste reduction programs more upfront and center when people are searching for utility help so that they have both that short term answer that they need today because they might have a shut off notice as well as that long-term plan,” says Kile.

In 2025, 211 callers expressed 113,200 utility related calls, and the agency made 221,000 referrals to 250 agencies including 45,000 referrals to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), of which The Michigan Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) is a part. That represents 25% of total calls to 211. The percentage of requests for utility assistance relative to other types of assistance has grown steadily in recent years. In 2020, utility calls represented 14% of total calls. The number climbed to 16% in 2021, and from 2022-2024 it held steady at 21%. According to Planet Detroit, the MEAP program ran out of funds in May, 2025, before the summer season when energy demand is the highest. With the latest rate hikes, cuts to federal programs, increased corporate demand, and extreme temperatures this winter, MEAP funding may run out even sooner in 2026. 

On a positive note, DTE Energy reported to regulators that it disconnected 189,470 customers for nonpayment in 2025, which represents a significant drop from the previous two years. In 2024, DTE shut off power from 211,647 customers, up from 202,976 customers who had their power shut off in 2023. The drop in shutoffs may be due in part to a modest increase in the MEAP budget, from $50 million to $54.5 million. Customers can expect more relief to come. In response to utility rate increases, Michigan lawmakers expanded energy assistance for ratepayers. Public Acts 168 and 169 of 2024 overhaul the Low‑Income Energy Assistance Fund (LIEAF) by removing the old statewide cap, which gradually grows the pot of money available to help households with energy bills. Public Acts 170 and 198 of 2024 and Senate Bills 353, 880, and 881 (signed December 2024), require utilities to participate in either MEAP or an equivalent assistance program, increase total MEAP funding to $100 Million by 2028, and expand income eligibility to 60% of State Median Income. [View more information about the bills here.] Together, these laws will bring relief to hundreds of thousands of Michiganders. 

Increases to state-level assistance are timed to ramp up just as Republicans decimated the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP,) cutting funding by 74% and terminating all staff on April 1, 2025. The repeal of key federal clean-energy tax credits will make renewable energy projects more expensive, leading to higher wholesale power costs which will get passed onto consumers. Instead of holding DTE and Consumers Energy to account for rate increases and unjustified caps on renewable energy, Republicans are introducing legislation that gives the utilities exactly what they want. As a result, Energy Innovation forecasts that electricity rates in Michigan could rise by 8-15% by 2035. These increases threaten to wipe out the benefit of state-level utility assistance expansions. 

The Misinformation Campaign: Blaming Clean Energy for Higher Bills

Most energy rate hikes are used to pay for grid upgrades, yet service only gets worse. Michigan utilities took an average of 12 hours to restore power in 2023, the longest in the U.S. and more than twice the restoration time of neighboring states like Ohio and Indiana, according to Citizens Utility Board of Michigan’s 2025 Utility Performance Report. Power outages in Michigan increased 79% between 2011 and 2021 compared with the previous decade. DTE-linked entities Michigan Energy Promise and Michigan Energy First blame residential solar users for passing costly grid repairs onto low-income rate payers, but this could not be further from the truth. Home solar systems reduce pressure on the grid by shifting excess power to neighboring users rather than sending it back to power stations on utility distribution systems. Locally generated power frees up grid capacity for other users. This extra capacity will be critical to sustaining supply as demand grows. Renewable energy is more resilient in winter storms like those seen in Texas in 2021 when extreme cold and ice froze natural gas wellheads and compressor stations, causing extended blackouts for nearly five million Texans. 

What is Driving Higher Costs?

Michigan lawmakers passed a law in 2024 exempting large data centers from the state’s sales and use tax. The projects are required to have a budget of at least $250 million to qualify, but only need to create 30 permanent jobs paying 150% of the local median wage. According to MLive, at least 16 sites in ten counties in the Lower Peninsula have active or proposed data center and cloud computing projects. Oracle, in partnership with OpenAI and Related Digital, is developing a $7 billion, 1.4-gigawatt AI data center campus in Saline Township, equivalent to the power drawn by more than a million homes. This project alone will increase DTE’s system-wide demand by 25%. The University of Michigan in partnership with Los Alamos is also slated to develop a $1.2 Billion data center in Ypsilanti Township, drawing an estimated 110 megawatts of power, and residents will vote on a ballot initiative in Augusta Charter Township to decide on a rezoning proposition to clear the way for a $1 Billion data center project. 

The proposed data centers would add enormous new electricity demand to Michigan’s grid. The Saline Township project alone is expected to draw about 1,400 megawatts — roughly a quarter of DTE’s current load — and the Ypsilanti and Augusta Township projects would add still more. That surge in demand could put upward pressure on rates and grid reliability if utilities are allowed to shift upgrade costs onto ordinary customers. The Michigan Public Service Commission says it will prevent that and has imposed safeguards requiring large new customers to cover the costs they impose on the system, but critics — including Attorney General Dana Nessel and consumer advocates — argue those protections are still untested and may not fully shield ratepayers.

At the same time, the explosive growth of AI and data infrastructure is reshaping global energy competition. One reason China currently holds a strategic advantage in the AI race is its ability to rapidly bring massive amounts of new power online — much of it from cheap wind and solar. If Michigan and the United States want to remain competitive, expanding affordable clean energy will be essential not only to power AI data centers, but also to support the onshoring of American manufacturing, including electric vehicles, batteries, and other clean-energy technologies. 

What Actually Lowers Bills:

• Home weatherization and energy efficiency
• Community solar and shared solar models 
• Regulatory oversight to limit what utilities can pass on to consumers
• Holding utilities accountable for outages and infrastructure failures 

Conclusion

Michigan’s energy crisis is not inevitable. Clean energy — paired with efficiency, weatherization, and strong regulatory oversight — lowers long-term costs and makes the grid more resilient, especially during extreme weather. Ratepayers should have the right to choose how their power is generated, to produce energy locally, and to share in the savings when demand is reduced. 

Rather than rein in new corporate demand and prevent utilities from continually hiking up utility rates in order to pay for the infrastructure to support it, the state is increasing MEAP monthly surcharges for all ratepayers to subsidize those people who can’t afford to pay. Meanwhile, the long-term economic benefits of energy-hungry data centers are minimal compared with the clean energy technology and electric vehicle manufacturing projects Michigan has already lost to tariffs and rolled-back incentives. The choice facing lawmakers is simple: protect households from rising bills and blackouts — or continue letting utilities write their own ticket.

Michigan energy experts and consumer advocates are voicing support for bipartisan legislation advancing this week that would help reduce energy costs and strengthen reliability by harnessing energy resources people already have in their homes, schools, and communities.

The bills, Senate Bills 731 and 732, would enable the use of Community Power (also known as Virtual Power Plants or VPP) in Michigan. In simple terms, Community Power (VPP) allows existing customer-owned resources to work together during periods of high demand, helping balance the electric grid without requiring new power plants or costly infrastructure.

By coordinating resources such as rooftop solar, smart thermostats, electric vehicles, and home batteries, the grid can respond more quickly and efficiently when demand rises. Customers who choose to participate are also compensated for helping during those peak periods, giving families and businesses a chance to earn money from energy resources they already own while keeping costs down and reliability strong for everyone.

“Michigan already has energy resources sitting in garages, basements, and parking lots across the state,” said Patty O’Keefe, Regional Director for Vote Solar. “Virtual Power Plants are about using what is already there to keep the lights on and avoid unnecessary costs for everyone.”

Advocates emphasized that participation is entirely voluntary and designed to be flexible, allowing a wide range of households and communities to take part without requiring major new investments. The bills are written to be technology-neutral, reflecting Michigan’s current mix of energy resources and ensuring the approach remains adaptable over time.

Energy experts also pointed to the reliability benefits, particularly in areas that experience frequent outages. By easing strain on the grid during periods of high demand, Community Power (VPP) can help improve grid performance and reduce the risk of disruptions.

“This approach helps avoid building expensive infrastructure that may only be needed a few days each year,” said John Freeman, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association. “That is good for reliability, and it is good for ratepayers.”

Additionally, the legislation directs regulators to establish consumer protections and oversight to ensure Community Power (VPP) participation delivers real value to customers and to the grid. Coalition members noted that the Michigan Public Service Commission has previously identified this approach as a potential tool to address reliability challenges, including in parts of the Upper Peninsula.

Advocates stressed that Community Power (VPP) is not a standalone solution, but an important part of a broader effort to modernize Michigan’s energy system, meet rising electricity demands, and protect households from unnecessary costs by prioritizing faster, more efficient solutions.

“Enabling legislation for virtual power plants is smart policy that turns innovation into savings,” said Ashley Rudzinski, Climate & Environment Program Director for Groundwork Center. “By unlocking thousands of small, flexible energy resources that can work together, we lower costs, strengthen grid resilience, and deliver dependable power when it matters most.”  

“Health practitioners know that when the power goes out, our Emergency Departments get busy,” stated Elizabeth Del Buono, MD, Founder of Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action. “As such, we are thrilled to support innovative Virtual Power Plant policies that utilize existing customer-owned resources to make energy more affordable and reliable while optimizing the use of healthy non-carbon forms of energy.”

“Virtual power plants are a powerful tool to accelerate energy affordability, resiliency and unlock new investment,” said Kelly Trombley, senior director, state policy, at Ceres. “By leveraging the untapped potential of businesses with large facilities that already generate onsite renewable power, Michigan can maximize energy resources, quickly add grid capacity, and reduce reliance on volatile fuel costs. Robust virtual power plant policies will ensure the state captures these economic and energy benefits.”

“Virtual Power Plants unleash community-based power by turning everyday devices into grid resources. They allow utilities to meet load growth in months—not years—while avoiding the cost, delay, and emissions of new generation,” said Mike Specian, PhD, at American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

“Virtual Power Plants can also unlock the flexible energy potential of batteries in electric vehicles, enabling owners to use their vehicles for backup power at home and for grid support,” said Charles Griffith, Director of the Climate and Energy Program at the Ecology Center. “This adds value to the growing number of electric vehicles, which sit idle 95% of the time, while building resiliency in our electricity system and ensuring more affordable, reliable energy access for all Michigan families.”

“With this forward-thinking legislation, Michigan will become a leading state in embracing community-based power to keep energy affordable,” said Shannon Anderson, Distributed Power Plant Policy Director at Solar United Neighbors Action. “Virtual Power Plants are a market-based, cost-competitive option to keep the lights on and power bills low.”

The following organizations also signed onto this statement:

• ACEEE (American Council for an Energy-Efficiency Economy)

• Ceres

• Ecology Center

• Evergreen Action

• Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA)

• Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities 

• Michigan Climate Action Network 

• NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)

• Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action

• Solar United Neighbors Action

• Union of Concerned Scientists

• Vote Solar

By Trilby MacDonald, Ecology Center Writer, and Mike Garfield, Ecology Center Director

In a deeply cynical move, the Environmental Protection Agency is scheduled to announce tomorrow that it is rescinding the 2009 Endangerment Finding — the legal mechanism by which the EPA regulates climate pollution under the Clean Air Act. The EPA exists to protect citizens from the reckless endangerment of human and environmental health by corporations and the government itself. If the Endangerment Finding is rescinded, the very purpose of the EPA is called into doubt. 

Without a doubt, this action is the most egregious and dangerous attack on environmental health and justice of all the egregiously dangerous attacks by the Trump Administration.

On August 1st, 2025, the EPA proposed reconsideration of the 2009 endangerment finding on the grounds that “CAA section 202(a) does not authorize the EPA to prescribe emission standards to address global climate change concerns and therefore do not need to be regulated.” The proposal goes on to say that “the EPA unreasonably analyzed the scientific record” and “developments cast significant doubt on the reliability of the findings.” The implications of this rollback cannot be overstated. Without the Endangerment Finding, the EPA would forfeit the ability to limit the carbon emissions that cause global warming and other pollutants that lead directly to an estimated 50,000 deaths, 85,000 hospitalizations, and 24 million asthma attacks per year, according to research by the Environmental Defense Fund. 

Under the law, the EPA has to determine that any air pollutant to be regulated is dangerous to the public health and welfare, and overturning the 2009 finding would be effectively arguing that climate change is not dangerous.

The scientific basis for eliminating this crucial protection is a report produced by The Climate Working Group, a group of five climate skeptics hand picked by Energy Secretary Chris Wright. The group casts doubt on climate science and the health impacts of tailpipe pollution, including nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds linked to asthma, heart disease, and premature death. 

Their findings come into direct conflict with the EPA’s own research, which could explain why the group chose to meet privately rather than expose itself to challenges from the scientific community. The Environmental Defense Fund and Union of Concerned Scientists are suing the DOE for distorting established scientific research and evading transparency laws by illegally convening the Climate Working Group in secret. A judge overseeing the case said the group’s report was a clear attempt to infuse established science with doubt about the effects of carbon emissions on rising temperatures. 

In September, 2025, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine issued its own report reaffirming that the use of fossil fuels is producing dangerous planetary warming. The scientific panel plays a unique role by statute in informing Clean Air Act regulations. Experts predict that if EPA highlights the Climate Working Group report in the final repeal of the endangerment finding it could come back to bite the agency in court. The case continues, though the group has since been disbanded. 

The EPA claims that the Endangerment Finding rollback only targets emissions standards for passenger cars and commercial trucks, leaving the highest-emitting U.S. sector unregulated for carbon. But that is deliberately misleading, because without a separate finding for industry, the EPA would automatically lose the ability to regulate industrial emissions as well. Power plant carbon limits, oil and gas methane rules, and vehicle greenhouse gas standards would all be lifted if the Trump Administration succeeds in persuading federal courts that dismantling the Endangerment Finding is justified. 

The economic justification for the vehicle standards and endangerment finding rollbacks is that emissions standards raise the cost of new vehicles and limit consumer choice. This is also misleading. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that while the 2025 Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards would increase the cost of new vehicles from $1,250 to $1,400, the cost increase would be more than offset by between $5,700 and $7,400 in fuel savings over the life of the average vehicle.

The real reason for the rollback is ideological. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin made that clear when he first announced plans to rescind the Endangerment Finding: “We are driving a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion…” In its zeal to repeal the standards, EPA essentially ignores any benefit to public health, and even revised its own scientific procedures to drop the value of a human life to zero.

When a federal agency charged with protecting human health and the environment repudiates its own science on pollution, disease, and climate change, it crosses the line into Orwellian perversion — where denial is duty and harm is policy. The Endangerment Finding Rollback, obscure as it sounds, is the absolute worst act of all the horrific crimes against the environment committed so far by the Trump Administration. 

Our Commitment Does Not Waver

It feels like it’s been a decade, but step back in time to early 2025. Two weeks before Donald Trump was inaugurated, climate-fueled fires broke out in southern California, killing dozens and causing more damage than any previous disaster in U.S. history. With the fires still raging, on his first day back in office, Donald Trump declared an “energy emergency” to boost the production of fossil fuels and roll back the country’s climate policies, the first of the many “emergencies” that are being used to justify the Administration’s illegal and extralegal attacks on American communities.

It’s been all downhill from there.

Given the troops in the streets, the immigrant concentration camps, the execution of citizens by federal officers in American streets, and everything else, the attacks on the environment understandably get overshadowed.

But since that first day, the Administration has begun the rollback of virtually all of the country’s environmental protections and has illegally fired thousands of government employees who enforce these protections. In an assault on science and facts, they’ve illegally frozen contracts with scientists and research institutions studying PFAS contamination, air quality, and climate science. And, they’ve shut down the databases used to track greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, chemical emergencies, and dozens more.

In May, they even ordered a dirty and expensive coal-fired power plant in west Michigan to stay open after Consumers Energy and state regulators planned to shut it down, costing ratepayers millions of dollars.​

Our work has never felt more important.

Along with our partners in Michigan and across the country, the Ecology Center fought last year to defend environmental laws and protections, and we even made progress in some important ways.

This 2025 recap showcases some highlights from the year, in the five ways the Ecology Center works – we conduct science to support communities; we, educate to raise awareness & understanding; we guide policy to scale solutions & protect health; we organize to build power & support communities in asserting their right to a healthy future; and we work to transform markets to push industry to use and make cleaner products. These transformative strategies help us stay grounded through hardships as we continue to fight for a healthy planet and healthy people.

Key Highlights of Our Work from 2025

We conducted scientific research to support communities and help shift power to the people. For example, in 2025, we tested hundreds of products from the dollar store for chemicals of concern to support a report by the Campaign for Healthier Solutions (CHS) and its associated policy demands. Our Healthy Stuff Lab also designed a study to test PET hazardous chemicals and found a toxic soup of chemicals was finding its way into #1 (PET) plastic (peer-reviewed article).

We provided community education to raise awareness and understanding because education builds collective strength. In 2025, our bilingual, seven-month program, Lead Impacted Families Together (LIFT MI), empowered families to tell their stories and push for protective policies. The More Life, Less Stuff campaign, in partnership with the City of Ann Arbor, inspired the public to adopt sustainable practices such as mending and repairing. Our Environmental Education team reached over 7782 students and staff (total) through Washtenaw County and Ann Arbor Public School programs in the 2024-2025 academic school year. The Environmental Education Team also created EROL, a free digital library of downloadable resources for K-12 students, educators, and families to take action on key environmental issues.

We guided policy to protect healthy people and a healthy planet. In early 2025, Ecology Center's advocacy efforts successfully partially blocked DTE's requested rate hike, reducing it by almost 60%, saving consumers collectively over 200 million. For the Capitol Day of Action, we gathered with our partner Michigan Energy, Michigan Jobs (MEMJ), to advocate for a people-first state budget and to directly compel decision-makers to invest in clean energy, public transit, workforce development, and public health. In a policy brief, we analyzed contributions to road funding fees and found that HB 4183 would unfairly penalize EV drivers, hurting EV accessibility and Michigan’s economy. We are currently calling on Michigan Legislators to support SB 593 and stop Michigan from levying the highest EV taxes in the nation. ​

Thanks to the Ecology Center and its partners, children in Michigan will be tested for lead exposure and have access to filtered water in schools, helping catch lead exposure early and prevent further poisoning. In collaboration with Clear the Air, we held a press conference to introduce the Protecting Overburdened Communities Act, which would require permit issuers to consider all sources of pollution impacting a neighborhood before allowing new pollution sources to be built.

We organized to build power and support communities in asserting their rights. For example, at the Climate Can’t Wait Rally in Detroit, we demanded “people-first” policies and community safety over profits or politics. In May, we held our second annual Air Quality Awareness Week 2025, where we advocated for clean air as a human right and urged for stronger policies. Through legislative education days on PFAS, microplastics, and lead in Lansing, we gathered with our partners and concerned community members to collectively call on local lawmakers to invest in powerful prevention measures for toxic chemicals.

We pushed to transform markets to reduce waste and stop the use of toxic chemicals. We shared information that helps consumers advocate with their wallets, such as Toxic-Free Future’s 2024 Retailer Report Card, which found that most major retailers lack sufficient protective policies. We also advocated for and led programs that hold the industry accountable for the entire life cycle of its products. We celebrated a program we helped create decades ago, the National Vehicle Mercury Switch Recovery Program (NVMSRP), which in 2025 surpassed a major milestone by removing 8 tons of mercury from cars that would otherwise have entered our environment. 

We believe that there is no environmental health and justice without laws and democracy, without science, without free speech. These are the fundamental precepts of all of our work. The Ecology Center will stand by and fight together with environmental organizations, our partners, and local communities. Our commitment to protect our planet and health into the future will never waver. We will continue to fight for our rights in 2026.

By Yuki Nakayama, Ecology Center Writer

The Ecology Center’s Healthy Stuff Lab is teaming up with local experts to learn about microplastics. While we do our own testing when we can, collaborating with local scholars and academic institutions is also important to us. It allows us to access labs with high tech equipment resulting in more data and builds our network of academic institutions doing important microplastics research for future collaborations. 

Our most recent collaboration is with local scientist, Dr. Yongli Wager and the team at Sustainable Water-Environment-Energy Technologies Lab at Wayne State University to tackle the microplastics issue at the local level.     

Examining Crucial Fresh Water Resources with Dr Yongli Wager

Dr. Yongli Wager, Ph.D., is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Sustainable Water-Environment-Energy Technologies Lab at Wayne State University (WSU). She has been at WSU since 2014 after receiving her doctorate in Civil Engineering at the University of Virginia. Her research interests are water use, quality, treatment, availability, management, energy, and sustainability. 

In particular, she is interested in contaminants referred to as “Chemicals of Emerging Concern,” like microplastics. These chemicals unfortunately already exist in our environment, but we still need a better understanding of how they impact the environment and human health. Since arriving in Michigan, she has focused on working on how such chemicals affect water quality in the Great Lakes ecosystem. 

She is interested in looking at water because “fresh water resources are critical for humans.” It is so fundamental to our health and survival, and yet it's currently at risk. She stresses that, “In Michigan, we are lucky to have this precious fresh water through the Great Lakes and we need to think about how to preserve it for the future.” In other words, Dr. Wager is working on ensuring that we have a deeper understanding of water contaminants like microplastics so that we can continue to have access to clean water. (You can read a recent paper by her and her team here.)

Dr. Wager’s Work at Her Lab at Wayne State University 

Dr. Wager and her lab do a combination of work that fits under three main categories: lab work, fieldwork, and system modeling approach to collect data. Environmental systems modeling is an analytical framework used to capture how various environmental elements currently interact (as a system) and to predict how changes impact the system’s behavior to help stakeholders make better decisions.

The lab focuses on microplastics because of the rising concerns over the long-term presence of microplastics in our environment as they break down into small particles without fully biodegrading. In addition to data collection, Dr. Wager develops more effective analytical methodologies, such as modifying existing methods, creating new tools, and updating analysis protocols. 

Due to the complexity of microplastics research, Dr. Wager is concurrently developing methodologies and collecting data. Microplastics pose a unique challenge for scientists due to their small particle size and their need to be separated from other particles, making sample collection, processing, and extraction difficult. For example, in some bodies of water, microalgae are the same size as microplastics, so scientists cannot extract microplastics solely by size. For this reason, there are significant hurdles to data collection and analysis. If microplastics cannot be accurately identified and extracted, we will not be able to assess current pollution levels or sources reliably.

Microplastics research is also complicated by the need for cross-disciplinary efforts to develop analytical tools and solutions. Dr. Wager and the lab are collaborating with Dr. Mark Cheng (University of Alabama) and Dr. Weisong Shi (University of Delaware) on a project to develop a real time microplastic monitoring system funded by the Great Lakes Protection Fund since 2018. They have since developed a sensor prototype that can monitor microplastics that are 300-700 micrometers. This project is one of many examples that show the wide ranging expertise and human labor needed for collecting data on microplastics. 

A Mutually Beneficial Collaboration With Community Partners 

The lab collaborates with many different communities with distinct concerns, creating what Dr. Wager calls a “mutually beneficial mechanism.” The lab provides access to testing that is not readily available to local groups while expanding its data collection. Additionally, the lab offers expertise for strategies, processing, and analysis for preliminary sample testing. Their partners can use it to understand their early results before deciding to send samples for further testing with advanced lab equipment. Community partners like the Ecology Center can use early data for developing necessary methodologies, providing evidence for funding applications, and more. 

Dr. Wager’s work with the Ecology Center focuses primarily on microplastics in local compost and soil. The lab is currently developing methods to analyze microplastics in samples collected by our Healthy Stuff research team. Compost can contain a wide variety of materials, like yard waste, food waste, and compostable packaging, making testing complicated. 

In many cases, food waste has microplastic contamination from food containers and packaging that does not biodegrade, including those that claim to be “biodegradable.” Dr. Wager points out that we need to change the way we compost to help prevent microplastic pollution. (Sign up for our email list if you’re interested in staying informed about our work on microplastics.)

In collaboration with the Huron River Watershed Council, the WSU lab is examining how terrain differences and human activities affect microplastic levels in the Huron River. This project will help expand our understanding of the factors that influence contamination pathways. The Huron River plays a vital role in our ecosystem and local culture. Looking at both environmental conditions and human behavior provides the data needed to create protections that ensure the river remains part of our way of life in Ann Arbor. 

Understanding Local Geography’s Impact on Pollution Levels. 

Dr. Wager stressed the importance of increasing “geospatial analysis of local communities,” or examining local geography’s influence on pollution levels. She also encourages more collaborations between labs and community groups. Finding a federal-level solution that serves all communities may be too slow and costly. Instead, working to expand community-based geospatial analysis will help build the detailed data on microplastics we still need while allowing stakeholders to find robust actions to tackle local situations. This gives agency and power to residents in building a safer future for themselves. 

By emphasizing community collaborations, the WSU lab hopes to maximize its impact, by working creatively within their partners' (often limited) resources in order to offer more than the lab’s testing capabilities. For the average person, scientific work done by Dr. Wager and the WSU Lab can often feel out of reach, but community-based analysis brings science to the people. It brings us together to fight against microplastics as a team. 

Reducing Plastic Use Is Key 

Our ability to understand the pathways of microplastic pollution and levels of contamination is critical to protecting communities and ensuring our healthy future. However, reducing plastic use before it becomes microplastic pollution is paramount to addressing the problem. While the scientific community is working on crucial components such as the development of data tools and alternative materials with industry stakeholders (e.g., manufacturers), there is a lot we can do: 

1. Opt out of plastics: avoid purchasing single-use plastic items. 
2. Choose reuse instead: carry your own take out food containers, reusable bottles, bags, and utensils. 
3. Increase public awareness about the issue. Help us spread the word by sharing this information with friends and family.
4. Support protective policies. We urgently need policies that limit single-use plastic and require stronger waste management protocols. 
5. Tell your local representatives that you care about microplastic prevention policies and vote for local initiatives.

Doing everything on this list may not be possible, but look for areas where you can contribute. It can start with just one small action and help to reduce the microplastics Dr. Wager might find in the samples they collect through their projects. Dr. Wager and her team are scientists, but they are also residents. They care about this issue because it affects them too.