THE POWER BILL IN MICHIGAN
IS TOO DAMN HIGH
It’s time for Michigan to go solar.
Local Solar for All is a national campaign dedicated to educating lawmakers about the various benefits of local, community-oriented clean energy.
Sometimes, we take a closer look at specific states, like we are here in Michigan. Our latest report looks at the economic impact of Michigan's unreliable grid.
SOLAR + BATTERIES:
THE SOLUTION WE NEED
PROBLEM Power costs in Michigan are among the highest in the country. The average monthly electricity bill in Michigan has risen by 11% in the last two years. Average electricity costs in the Detroit area exceed the national average by at least 27%.
SOLUTION Families and businesses can adopt community solar or install solar plus storage on their property to save money. New local solar customers can expect to save anywhere from 5 to 40% on their monthly bills.
PROBLEM Michiganders deal with more power outages than most of the country, ranking among the worst by some metrics. The August 2022 storms that knocked out power for nearly 400,000 is just the latest example.
SOLUTION When communities adopt local solar and storage as a mainstream solution, they can actually work together with utilities to strengthen the electric grid. An electric grid built from the bottom up lower costs for everyone and more responsive to the people and businesses who need electricity.
PROBLEM The electric grid is getting more and more expensive. Fossil fuel energy prices keep increasing. Utilities keep proposing increasing electricity rates to fund multi-billion dollar construction projects that can't guarantee an end to these persistent power outages.
SOLUTION Local solar and battery storage can kick in as back-up power when the grid goes down. Families can have peace of mind. Businesses can continue operating. Critical infrastructure like hospitals can continue helping people in need.
SECURE OUR ENERGY FUTURE
Local solar + battery storage lowers costs and creates a more secure electric grid.
LOCAL SOLAR OPTIONS
ROOFTOP SOLAR
Installed on the roofs of homes and businesses, rooftop solar offers people control over where their electricity is produced and lowers their monthly utility bill.
COMMUNITY SOLAR
A type of local solar facility where multiple families and businesses can sign up, share the electricity from one project, and lower their monthly utility bill.
STORAGE
Batteries are often combined with local solar projects. They can store energy for later use, like helping power a building when there is a power outage.
Homes and businesses with local solar + storage systems can enable back-up power capabilities.
They can also help utilities run a more secure and lower cost grid. However, the policies for homes and businesses to fully take advantage of these opportunities do not exist in Michigan… YET.
RESOURCES
