opinion

Viewpoint: Michigan businesses support cleaner energy

A violent summer storm rolled across Michigan a few weeks ago, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without electricity and plenty of farmers worried about their crops. Powerful storms are a part of life in the Midwest, but scientists say storms are packing a stronger punch as a result of climate change. That punch hurts. Some apple and grape growers around Traverse City lost a chunk of their crops to storm damage, and corn and soybean farmers throughout Western Michigan expect significant losses from record-breaking rains.

The damages are felt beyond the farm. I run a group of restaurants and brewpubs, and we source many of our hops from here in Michigan and our grains from Midwestern farms. These tasty, local ingredients are an essential part of our success. We also rely on fresh clean water from the Great Lakes. Climate change threatens the farms and waters that sustain our business—and countless other companies across the region’s economy.

That’s why so many Michigan business owners support action to address climate change.

Two-thirds of business leaders in Michigan back the Environmental Protection Agency’s new limits on carbon pollution from power plants—the nation’s largest source of climate change pollution. And nearly 90 percent of Michigan businesspeople favor state-based efforts to meet these new limits on carbon pollution, according to a poll from the national nonpartisan business group Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2).

We recognize that investing in climate solutions like renewable power and energy efficiency make good business sense.

If you took a road trip this summer, odds are good you drove past a wind farm or solar panels. Renewable energy is booming in our country: U.S. investment topped $38 billion in 2014 and more than 240,000 Americans work in the wind and solar industries. The EPA’s new limits on carbon pollution are expected to spark a 30 percent growth in renewable energy in the next 15 years—unleashing more investment and more job creation.

The new carbon pollution limits will also make homes and businesses more energy efficient. Studies show that every dollar invested in energy-saving windows, appliances, and other solutions yields up to $4 in benefits. My company has invested tens of thousands of dollars in energy efficient computer programmable LED bulbs, company-wide full energy audits, brewing equipment to eliminate water waste, and a full time Sustainability & Green Initiatives Manager because we knew these investments would pay off in lower energy consumption and lower monthly bills.

The EPA’s plan to cut carbon pollution will expand efficiency programs—and create up to 83,000 jobs for the electricians, carpenters and other workers who put efficiency solutions in place.

Michigan is poised to reap these benefits. More than 80,000 green goods and services jobs have been created in our state in the last four years, and we are sitting on more than 7.5 million gigawatts-hours of clean energy potential.

We also have two state standards that will help meet the EPA’s carbon pollution limits. The first incentivizes efficiency and the second requires 10 percent of Michigan’s electricity to come from wind, solar or other renewable resources. These standards generate growth. The Michigan Public Service Commission reported that companies invested $2.9 billion in renewable energy projects in Michigan through 2014. Our state added more than 600 clean energy jobs in the first quarter of 2015 alone, E2 found.

Yet just as Michigan is gearing up to slash carbon pollution, some in the State Legislature want to throw us in reverse by introducing bills to kill our state’s clean energy standards. Their bills will undermine growth and slow Michigan’s fight against climate change.

Governor Snyder and many lawmakers know that smart clean energy policies strengthen our state. So do business leaders. Four in five Michigan businesspeople support the existing clean energy standards, and 83 percent agree we can have a strong economy and clean environment at the same time.

I couldn’t agree more. Vibrant crops and fresh water have been essential to the success of my business. And clean energy and a stable climate will help all Michiganders thrive.

Garry Boyd is the vice president of food, beverage and cultural innovation at Grand Rapids-based BarFly ventures, which operates restaurants and bars across Michigan.