Rep. Joseph Aragona spoke out today following Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s recently announced proposal for a costly and controversial energy mandate.

During her “What’s Next?” address last week the governor prioritized the elimination of stable energy sources such as nuclear, biomass waste or natural gas in favor of solar, wind or other carbon-free options. This type of shift will dramatically increase costs on land, homes and businesses while also further destabilizing Michigan’s already faltering energy grid.

House Democrats introduced House Bills 4759-4761 last session. These bills would mandate carbon-free electricity by 2035. But Aragona says even if these bills pass, there will still be massive roadblocks ahead that will force the governor to finally face the disfunction in Lansing.

“Since taking majority Democrats have been happy to steamroll policy after policy all while making every effort to ignore any and all Republican collaboration,” Aragona said. “Well, passing bills is one thing. Implementing a comprehensive energy plan and a massive fuel mandate by 2035 is another. Steamrolling can get you a headline, but the people of Michigan deserve to have the actual plan for their future hammered out collaboratively by experts from all sides. There are Republicans like myself who care deeply about energy issues and would love to collaborate on an actual, reasonable plan to make energy cheaper, safer and more reliable rather than empty promises and half measures.”

Also at issue for Rep. Aragona is the almost certain energy rate increase that will come in the form of more legislation to support and complete the governor’s mandate.

“We’ve already seen how large Democrats are willing to balloon our state budget and how high they’re ok with raising taxes to support that,” Aragona said. “That was before this pie-in-the-sky demand was made by the governor. Who do they think will pay to retrofit our entire grid? Once again, they’re passing the bill for their ‘big ideas’ onto hardworking families and small businesses who are already anxious about making ends meet. We cannot force the people to spend their way to a better Michigan. We have to work our way there alongside them. On our side of the aisle, we’re ready to work out a plan whenever the Governor wakes up from this delusion that she can improve our state by ignoring half of it.”

Rep. Aragona and his office can be reached at (517) 373-1785 or JosephAragona@house.mi.gov.