LANSING – State Representative Kate Ebli (D-Monroe) today announced her appointment to a regional bipartisan committee of legislators that will work on ensuring the Midwest continues to take a lead role in the nation's energy policy. As a member of the Midwestern Legislative Conference's Energy Committee, Ebli will work with legislators from 11 states and three Canadian provinces on pressing energy issues.
"Energy is the key to creating the jobs of the future, and Michigan is well-positioned to become a 21st century powerhouse of renewable energy production," Ebli said. "Reports tell us that Michigan ranks second in the Great Lakes region for wind generation potential, but has not yet capitalized on that potential. I look forward to exchanging ideas with my counterparts around the region and finding ways to ensure our state's place in the high-growth field of renewable energy production."
Ebli, a member of the Michigan House of Representatives' Energy Committee, recently unveiled an aggressive plan to establish Michigan as a leader in emerging renewable energy production industries. The 21st Century Renewable Energy Plan would require that renewable energy sources account for 10 percent of the state's energy production by 2015. The comprehensive plan also would foster more "alternative-energy renaissance zones" across the state by including solar and wind generation and fuel-cell technologies among those that qualify for renaissance zone tax abatements, helping to spur local investment in renewable energy.
The Midwestern Legislative Conference receives support from the Council of State Governments, a national policy and advocacy organization with headquarters in Lexington, Ky.