GR Climate Action Plan: Drive Less, Use Less Energy, Switch to EVs

By Scott McClallen, Michigan Capitol Confidential

Michigan’s second-largest city wants its residents to drive less, switch to electric vehicles, and use less energy, according to its 95-page draft of a climate action and adaption plan.

The city of Grand Rapids’ climate plan uses the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by municipal operations in 2008 as its benchmark, setting a goal to reduce their emissions by 85 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2040.

The plan will try to reduce community greenhouse gas emissions by 62.8 percent per capita by 2030, with 2019 as the benchmark. The plan has six chapters: energy (more solar use), healthy homes (less electric use; income-based electric rates), commercial buildings (less energy use), transportation (more carpooling and cycling, denser developments), natural systems (more trees and rain gardens), and food systems (more urban agriculture and composting, less food in trash).

City residents create emissions by heating their homes and businesses, driving for work and the family, and going shopping.

The three largest sources of emissions are buildings (40 percent, with single and multifamily residential accounting for 28 percent and commercial buildings accounting for 11 percent of the total), the transportation sector (30 percent, with gasoline-powered vehicles accounting for 18 percent), and industrial facilities (25 percent). Commercial energy, solid waste, upstream impacts, and other factors account for the remaining emissions (about 17 percent).

More than half of public comments on the draft opposed one or more of its six chapters, Michigan Capitol Confidential previously reported.

The draft plan calls for reducing by 80 percent the carbon dioxide created by the electric grid by 2030, reducing vehicle miles traveled by 10 percent by 2030, boosting electric vehicle adoption by 4.5 percent annually, and increasing the number of miles traveled in electric vehicles by 22.5 percent by 2030.

“While electrification of vehicles is needed to reduce emissions in the transportation sector, electric vehicle options are often more expensive, less accessible, reinforce traditional single occupancy vehicle usage, and pose potential waste and safety issues,” the draft said.

The plan aims to retire the city fleet and replace it with electric vehicles, pilot a city e-bike fleet with charging infrastructure, and train or hire specialized technicians to service city fleet EVs.

Buildings should use less energy, the plan says. For 10 percent of all existing commercial buildings, the plan aims to reduce energy use by 20 percent annually and move 5 percent of existing commercial buildings annually from gas to electric heating.

The plan aims for 5 percent of all existing residential buildings to reduce energy use by 20 percent. It also calls for all new residential buildings and 1 percent of existing buildings to meet the International Energy Conservation Code 2018, and for all new residential buildings and 11 percent of existing buildings to switch to electric heat each year.

Grand Rapids is accepting feedback on the climate action plan through Feb. 17.

Cities with more trees and vegetation tend to have milder temperatures and better air quality, said Jason Hayes, director of energy and environmental policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. “Replacing non-native grasses with native species and reducing impervious surfaces, also recommended in the chapter on natural systems, helps decrease demands on water and sewage infrastructure.”

The energy chapter, however, encourages the use of solar power, “an expensive and unreliable energy source often linked to coal-powered electricity, stolen intellectual property, and the labor of imprisoned Uyghurs in Chinese labor camps,” Hayes wrote in an email.

The chapter on housing suggests that the city advocate for affordable electricity rates, but Michigan is pursuing net-zero emissions by 2050. Mackinac Center research shows that statewide net zero mandates will raise the average monthly residential electricity bill from $118 in 2022 to between $180 and $290 by 2035.

This increased electricity cost will hurt commercial businesses and residents and will increase their monthly electricity bills by 53 percent to 146 percent by 2035, Hayes said.

The chapter on food supports more urban agriculture, but that undermines the stated goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Hayes said.

”Fruits and vegetables grown in urban farms and gardens have an average carbon footprint six times greater than that of conventionally produced produce,” a 2024 University of Michigan study concluded.

“Instead of squandering time and limited tax dollars on ineffective climate programs, city officials in Grand Rapids would better serve taxpayers and residents by concentrating on fundamental issues: crime prevention, reliable and affordable utility services (water, sewer, and garbage), road maintenance, and education,” Hayes wrote.

Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.

Peters Praises Commerce Department Rule Blocking Chinese-backed Vehicles and Technologies from Sale in U.S.


U.S. Senator Gary Peters, D-Michigan, applauded the U.S. Department of Commerce’s finalization of its proposed rule to protect American consumers and companies against national security threats posed by allowing vehicles and technologies controlled by Chinese Community Party-backed (CCP) companies to be imported or sold in the United States.

This comes after Peters urged the Commerce Department to develop such protections and continued to underscore the need for further action to combat the threats posed by CCP-controlled vehicles and high-risk vehicle technologies. This rule will also help to secure the U.S. automotive supply chain and protect the United States’ global leadership in automotive innovation as China seeks to flood the global automotive market with highly subsidized Chinese vehicles.  

“The Chinese government is actively working to undermine our national security and our economic success,” Peters said. “Chinese Communist Party-backed companies want to flood the U.S. and global marketplace with artificially cheap vehicles that are capable of stealing Americans’ personal data, committing espionage, and being manipulated while folks are driving. We cannot allow that to happen.”

Peters has worked to combat the national security and economic threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles. Most recently, Peters urged the Commerce Department in December to finalize this rule and reiterated how Chinese-controlled vehicles and technologies could compromise our national security.

In March, Peters wrote a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, highlighting the need for continued application of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles and supporting the Department of Commerce’s investigation into the national security concerns posed by Chinese-made vehicles which led to this proposed rule.

Peters then applauded the Commerce Department’s decision to raise tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles and other goods across numerous key sectors, including steel and aluminum imports, lithium batteries, critical minerals, solar cells, semiconductors, and medical equipment. Peters also sent a letter to several Chinese automakers pressing for more transparency into their ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Peters has also worked to boost American development of connected vehicles and other critical roadway safety technologies to support Michigan’s auto industry and create good-paying jobs for Michiganders.

Last year, Peters – who served as Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports – called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to allow the deployment of safe, secure Cellular Vehicle to Everything (C-V2X) technology in order to accelerate the use of this lifesaving mobility safety technology and ensure the U.S. does not fall behind other countries in its development and adoption. The FCC approved the deployment of C-V2X technology – which is an intelligent transportation system (ITS) technology that enables data sharing between vehicles, the infrastructure they operate on, and nearby road users – improving roadway safety and efficiency.

In 2022, Peters welcomed the U.S. Department of Commerce’s $52.2 million investment in the Global Epicenter of Mobility to advance mobility innovation across Michigan’s automotive sector. Peters secured this funding through the American Rescue Plan.  


Huizenga Announces Committee Assignments


U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, has announced his committee assignments for the 119th Congress.

In this session of Congress, Huizenga will take on new leadership roles while continuing to serve on both the House Financial Services Committee as well as the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Huizenga will serve as the vice-chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. As vice-chair, Huizenga’s robust experience across the committee’s jurisdiction will help Chairman French Hill (R-Ark.) drive policy initiatives and assist with overall operations of the House Financial Services Committee.

For the first time, Congressman Huizenga will lead a subcommittee on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Huizenga will chair the Subcommittee on South and Central Asia which geographically includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

“I look forward to working with Chairman Hill in the 119th Congress to ensure Washington is working to build a more economically secure future for the American people,” Huizenga said. “I am eager to work with Chairman Mast on the House Foreign Affairs Committee to implement policies that restore accountability and prioritize American interests.”

“Rep. Huizenga enters this Congress with significant experience across the entire jurisdiction of our committee,” Hill said. “Most recently, he was a leader of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and guided the Committee’s response to the ill-conceived Biden-Harris ESG approach. As a longtime committee member and friend, Huizenga fully understands and is prepared to help drive our committee’s priorities forward by my side.”

 “I look forward to working closely with Bill as he leads our subcommittee on South and Central Asia,” said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla. “Bill’s experience will be vital in reforming the State Department to ensure that every dollar and every diplomat puts America First.”

Whitmer Declares January Radon Action Month


Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has declared January as Radon Action Month in Michigan, encouraging Michigan residents to learn more about this environmental hazard and to test their homes during the heating season.

You cannot see, smell, or taste radon, and there are no short-term side effects that could cause alarm or warn of its presence. However, long-term exposure increases the risk of lung cancer, which accounts for more deaths than any other form of cancer in the United States. Behind smoking, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and is considered a leading environmental cause of cancer deaths in the United States.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) aims to increase awareness of health risks associated with elevated indoor radon levels, promote home testing, and encourage citizens to take action to reduce their exposure once elevated radon levels are found.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon is responsible for about 20,000 lung cancer deaths in the United States each year. Despite radon being the leading cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers, the risk of lung cancer from radon exposure is significantly higher for people who smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke.

Recent studies have shown that many Michiganders, including those residing in overburdened communities, are unaware of the hidden dangers of exposure to radioactive radon gas indoors.  This is why EGLE continues to promote radon education, awareness, and promotion of testing. Fortunately, testing is easy, inexpensive, and the only way to determine if a radon problem exists in homes.

In Michigan, an estimated one out of every four homes are projected to have radon levels exceeding the federal action level of 4 picocuries per liter of air (4 pCi/L). Elevated radon levels have been found in all 83 Michigan counties. Radon poses a serious health threat, but high indoor radon concentrations can be reduced. EGLE’s indoor radon web page contains information to help residents find measurement and mitigation contractors, along with other helpful tips. Additionally, EGLE has produced an interactive Map of Michigan Indoor Radon Results to help explore levels around the state.

This January, EGLE encourages:

• All residents to test their home, especially if it has never been tested, or if it has been longer than two years.

• Installation of mitigation systems for residents that have tested and found elevated radon levels.

• Inspection of existing radon reduction systems and retesting to ensure proper operation of the system, if it has not been done in the past two years.

• Residents to tell a friend, neighbor, or family member about radon and its potential threat to lung health.

For more information about radon testing, including resources for homeowners, builders, realtors, teachers, and healthcare providers, go to Michigan.gov/Radon, or call EGLE’s Indoor Radon hotline at 800-723-6642 (800-RADONGAS).