opinion: Economic future of Michigan will benefit if Proposal 3 passes

Prop 3 merely continues the move to renewable sources at the same rate as the current Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) (PA 295:10% renewables by 2015) is implementing. When a Republican legislator proposed repealing PA 295 the utilities asked him not to. Acts like this one from Lansing is one reason that Prop 3 is needed.

Our constitution already addresses concerns from nuclear power to gay marriage so Prop 3 is appropriate. Prop 3 will assure that this new RPS will be not diluted or repealed by a backward thinking legislature that may be more concerned about getting campaign contributions or a job after term limits than creating a secure energy future for our great state.

One may ask: If PA 295 has the utilities moving toward renewables do we really need Prop 3? Neither DTE nor Consumers Energy currently plan additional renewables after 2015. Passing Prop 3 now will insure this progress continues uninterrupted.

C.A.R.E raises the specter of drastic electric rate increases and calls Prop 3 a “risky experiment." This too is false. The rate increase is limited by the proposal to 1 percent per year at a maximum. New wind energy is cheaper than new coal and since the energy from the wind and the sun is free, the true costs of wind and solar generated electricity is a fixed 20-30 year rate.

Future costs of coal or natural gas can not be predicted and inherently pose a great risk to our future economy. Prop 3 will reduce the flow of dollars out of our state to purchase dirty fossil fuels ($1.7 billion/yr) and create a cleaner, more sustainable future for Michigan.

Please vote Yes on Proposal 3.

Wayne Appleyard

Chair of the Ann Arbor Energy Commission