• 5 MIN READ

Our Work: I3 Responds to Michigan Climate Plan Industrial Provisions

On April 18, 2022, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer released Michigan’s Healthy Climate Plan for midcentury decarbonization. Since September 2020, The Michigan Council on Climate Solutions — an advisory body in the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) — has been working with stakeholders to develop strategies to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 52 percent by 2030 as an interim target on the way to 2050. To gather stakeholder input, the Council created five working groups focused on the major emissions sources, Buildings and Housing, Energy Intensive Industries, Energy Production, Natural and Working lands and Forest Products, and Transportation and Mobility. Combined, these workgroup recommendations informed the buildout of the plan.

In January of this year, the Council released an early iteration of the plan for public input. In response, I3 submitted comments commending key provisions to future-proof Michigan’s local industry, calling for additional action in line with the Energy Intensive Industries Work Group recommendations, which provided the basis for the plan’s decarbonization strategies for industry.

States are in a prime position to lead on industrial decarbonization by developing policies and plans that put decarbonization into a local context. As the plan details, Michigan has deep historical ties to the industrial and manufacturing sectors and the network of jobs they create. Industries like cement, steel, and chemicals bring tremendous local value to Michigan but also contribute significantly to overall greenhouse gas emissions. As the 5th largest advanced manufacturing workforce in the country, Michigan’s carbon-neutral ambition has important precedence for states looking to reduce emissions from the industrial sector. Already, Michigan has cut industry emissions by more than 23 percent, with the potential to achieve as much as a 45 percent reduction by 2030 when compared to 2005 levels.

The Michigan Healthy Climate Plan highlights several key strategies to drive clean innovation in the industrial sector:

  • Create stronger procurement programs
  • Increase the state’s recycling rate and develop markets for recycled materials
  • Encourage clean innovation hubs with the meaningful involvement of communities
  • Advance energy efficiency and process improvements
  • Explore carbon capture in areas where alternative decarbonization methods are not feasible

Below, we take stock of the objectives for industry outlined in the final plan and how they align with the priorities laid out in I3’s Federal and State Policy Blueprint:

EFFICIENT FACILITIES

Improving efficiency comes with many co-benefits. As noted in both I3’s Blueprint and Michigan’s plan, taking measures to address efficiency can lower energy and production costs. Michigan’s plan also calls attention to the potential for job creation for the workforce needed to implement efficiency measures. The plan goes on to emphasize the role that combined heat and power can play in improving the efficiency of facilities.

CLEANER PRODUCTS

Public and private sector procurement standards are a powerful tool for industrial decarbonization that builds market confidence in the deployment of low-carbon technologies and products.  In alignment with I3’s recommendations, Michigan’s plan identifies expanding low-carbon procurement opportunities as a priority, particularly lower-carbon cement. The plan highlights the growth of a circular economy by spurring market development for recycled or lower-carbon materials to reduce waste, and specifically plans to prioritize support for disadvantaged businesses.

CLEAN INNOVATION HUBS

Clean industrial hubs provide a nexus for several decarbonization solutions. By co-locating facilities, decarbonization solutions can be deployed more cost-effectively through shared infrastructure and more efficient use of materials and energy. This is particularly salient for hydrogen and carbon management infrastructure. It is important to note, as both the Michigan plan and the I3 blueprint do, that the siting of these hubs and their environmental justice concerns must be carefully considered with meaningful involvement from impacted communities.

In addition to the above recommendations specific to industry, Michigan’s plan includes other cross-cutting strategies that can help accelerate decarbonization in the industrial sector, including:

  • Adopting a technology-neutral, performance-based Clean Fuels Standard to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. Not only would this policy help Michigan meet its electrification goals, but it would pair well with cleaner innovation hubs, which may serve as sites of increased industrial activity when making those fuels.
  • Statewide energy planning to assist with the vast expansion of available zero-carbon electricity in the state will help Michigan advance its goal of 60 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
  • Commitment to environmental justice and a just transition, including the use of environmental justice screening tools in decision-making processes, workforce development, and training considerations, and in line with the Biden Administration’s Justice40 Initiative.

The State of Michigan has a crucial role to play in advancing the suite of strategies and solutions necessary for the industrial and manufacturing sector to decarbonize. Since welcoming comments on the first iteration of the plan, Michigan has raised its level of ambition by outlining a more thorough approach to industrial decarbonization and including many of the recommendations highlighted in I3’s comments.

In the coming months, the Office of Climate and Energy within EGLE will begin implementing the plan with the Council on Climate Solutions and Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice, providing advice, feedback, and guidance. EGLE will submit reports updating the public on the plan’s progress on an annual basis, and the Council is slated to meet again on June 21 to discuss the next steps.

Stay Up to Date 

Subscribe to the Industrial Innovation Initiative’s monthly newsletter to stay up-to-date on what states are leading the way on industrial decarbonization. If you would like to be involved in I3’s state-level working group, please reach out to David Soll at dsoll@gpisd.net.

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Labor Engagement Manager for Industrial Innovation and Carbon Management, GPI

Alejandro comes to GPI from Labor Union SEIU-United Service Workers West. He represented union workers from downtown Los Angeles and LA’s westside corridor of Century City, Westwood, and Beverly Hills. Alejandro enforced various collective bargaining agreements for union workers, ensuring annual wage increases, health insurance, and other benefits and protections. In addition, he worked with union leaders and outside stakeholders, such as community partners, public agencies, politicians, and industry experts, to develop and execute union campaigns. Alejandro was also part of the Los Angeles-Justice for Janitors 2021 union contract campaign—he helped execute and coordinate large-scale actions across LA’s metropolitan area. Previously, he served as the Nevada state canvassing director at For Our Future Action Fund. He holds a BA in international studies and Italian from the University of Kansas.

Senior Program Coordinator for Industrial Innovation and Carbon Management, GPI

Carrie Danner joined the Great Plains Institute in 2023 and serves as the operations coordinator for the Industrial Innovation and Carbon Management team. In her work, she supports all projects within the program to elevate operations, particularly in grant-making and event planning. Carrie earned a bachelor’s degree from Knox College in environmental studies. Prior to joining GPI, she supported programs at the Conservation Corps of Minnesota & Iowa as their member experience administrator.

Industry Program Coordinator, GPI

Alana joined GPI in 2024 as a program associate on the Industrial Innovation and Carbon Management team, specifically supporting the Industrial Innovation Initiative, where she helps to advance industrial decarbonization through GPI’s consensus-building approach. Alana previously worked as an account executive at Jamf, where she helped current K-12 education customers improve and scale the management and security of their Apple device deployments. Alana has spent most of her professional years working with Minnesota nonprofits, including two years as an AmeriCorps member with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. She holds a bachelor’s degree in community environmental studies from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Zachary Byrum, Research Analyst, WRI

Zachary Byrum is a Research Analyst in WRI's U.S. Climate Program, where he provides technology and policy analysis for carbon removal and deep decarbonization. His work focuses on pathways to reduce industrial emissions as well as bolstering technological carbon removal. Prior to WRI, Zach was a research assistant in the Carbon Management Research Initiative at the Center on Global Energy Policy. In the preceding years, he served as White House Intern in the National Economic Council under the Obama Administration and then an assistant analyst at the Congressional Budget Office. Zach holds a Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Goucher College.

Senior Advisor of Industrial Innovation, WRI United States

Angela Anderson is the Director of Industrial Innovation and Carbon Removal in the Climate Program. She leads WRI's growing portfolio of work in industrial decarbonization and carbon removal and aims to change narratives around “hard-to-abate” sectors and promote the natural and technological interventions required to achieve net-zero targets. Prior to joining WRI, Angela worked as a program director, coalition builder, international advocate, and campaign strategist. She led the Climate and Energy Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists for ten years; facilitated US-NGO engagement in the international climate negotiations while at US Climate Action Network and at the Pew Environmental Trust; and founded Clear the Air, a national coalition to reduce pollution from power plants. Angela holds a B.A. in political science from Colorado State University.

Vice President of Industrial Innovation and Carbon Management, GPI

Patrice Lahlum is the Vice President of the Industrial Innovation and Carbon Management program at the Great Plains Institute. The Institute, headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, works with diverse stakeholders and communities across the country to transform the energy system to benefit people, the economy, and the environment. We strive to combine our unique consensus-building approach, expert knowledge and analysis, and local action to promote solutions that strengthen communities, shore up the nation’s industrial base, and enhance domestic energy independence, all while eliminating carbon emissions. Patrice oversees several initiatives, including the Carbon Capture Coalition, Industrial Innovation Initiative, Carbon Action Alliance, and the Regional Carbon Capture Deployment Initiative.

Senior Content Specialist for Industrial Innovation and Carbon Management, GPI

Kate Sullivan joined the Great Plains Institute in 2019. As Senior Content Specialist, Kate uses her analytical and design skills to provide research, writing, and logistical support across the Industrial Innovation and Carbon Management team. Prior to joining GPI, Kate worked as an Energy Counselor in the Center for Energy and Environment’s residential department, assisting homeowners with their energy needs and providing resources for efficiency upgrades. Kate earned her BA in Biology from St. Olaf College with an emphasis in Environmental Studies.

Senior Program Manager for Industrial Innovation and Carbon Management, GPI

Jill Syvrud joined the Great Plains Institute in 2017 and serves as the program manager for the Industrial Innovation and Carbon Management Program. In addition to overseeing the overall program, Jill directly supports the Industrial Innovation Initiative, a coalition advancing decarbonization solutions for the Midcontinent region’s most important industrial sectors. Jill earned a bachelor of science in biology from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire and a master of science degree in science technology and environmental policy from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Jill’s past experience includes multiple graduate research assistantships concentrating on technology innovation and sustainable megacities, as well as a previous position as an administrative and outreach coordination intern with the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.