LANSING, Mich. — State Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, issued the following statement after the Senate approved proposals to overhaul the state’s energy current energy policies:
“Many people consider reducing our carbon footprint to be a good cause. However, it is important to remember that just because something seems like a good idea, doesn’t mean it’s feasible, affordable or practical.
“We just simply aren’t in a place yet where we can affordably and responsibly make such drastic overhauls to our electrical grid. I know it, residents know it, utility companies know it, and business owners know it. These bills will create a less reliable, more expensive grid and drive away economic investment.
“The cost of these proposals remains an unanswered concern; what is also concerning is what this will mean for the large percentage of Northern Michigan and U.P. residents who rely on propane to keep their families warm during the winter. In recent years, we’ve seen the problems our residents have faced due to interruptions in the supply chain, and I, like many, have great reservations about what these drastic mandates will mean for these families and others across the state.
“There has been enough difficulty with distributing propane to those who need it, and these overreaching reforms, mixed with the war on Line 5 and further delaying the Great Lakes tunnel, causes great concern for families in Northern Michigan and the U.P.
“I voted no on these bills. They put political motives over sensible efforts to help the people who trusted us to make Michigan a better place to live and start a business. These bills will drive up costs, drive down reliability, and drive businesses and manufacturing right out of this state.
“We have a duty to Michigan residents and taxpayers, and government mandates that force them to reach deeper into their pockets to help pay for an agenda is not a solution.”
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