State Rep. Greg Alexander on Tuesday voted for a plan that prioritizes lower energy costs by installing common-sense reforms and oversight to deliver relief.

“Energy costs are crushing workers, families and livelihoods in our state,” said Alexander, of Carsonville. “We need a more effective way forward that shapes decisions around a few key determining factors, like how much it’s going to cost ratepayers and how it’s going to impact our grid going forward. These plans prioritize the answers to those questions. If the policy doesn’t provide good answers, it’s not good for Michigan.”

Under House Bills 5710-11, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) would be required to evaluate energy plans based on what they cost residents and reliability for families and small business owners, including during winter cold snaps and peak summer demand. The commission has approved $1 billion in rate hikes on utility customers since 2023.

A big reason for these hikes is law signed that same year that enacted sweeping energy mandates – prioritizing political timelines over cost and performance. Since then, increased rate requests in the hundreds of millions of dollars have become common, grid strain has worsened, and Michigan families have been left funding $2.1 million annually in grants to advocacy groups that actively work against ratepayer interests.

The plans Alexander voted to advance end this lobbying loophole and remove burdensome green energy mandates that tasked utilities with operating at 100% clean energy by 2040. The result of that move has been utility companies spending billions of dollars on clean energy compliance and efficiency to help meet the requirements, with costs being passed down to consumers.

Alexander has been a consistent advocate for families and local job providers on energy costs and policies during the current legislative term. Last year, he voted for a separate plan that would return decision-making authority for large-scale wind and solar projects to communities – a move that re-elevates local input after the state moved to centralize these siting decisions through the unelected, governor-appointed MPSC.

HBs 5710-11 now move to the Senate for consideration.