Voters in Michigan will vote next week on what our David Roberts called “the most important clean-energy vote this year.” Proposal 3 would expand the state’s renewable energy standard so that Michigan uses 25 percent renewable energy by 2025. In case David Roberts isn’t enough to convince you of the worth of the measure, it picked up an equally prominent backer earlier today.
From Think Progress:
Former President Clinton — a man well-versed in the benefits of clean energy — has officially thrown his support behind the 25 percent renewable electricity target.
“Proposal 3 is Michigan’s best opportunity this year to jumpstart the state’s economy by creating 94,000 jobs and increasing the use of renewable energy,” Clinton said in a statement. “Proposal 3 invests in Michigan’s future so that it won’t get left behind by the 30 other states that are already creating new clean energy jobs and lowering consumers’ electricity costs. That’s why I’m so proud to endorse Proposal 3.”
The high-profile endorsement from Clinton comes as a utility front group spends millions of dollars on advertisements to kill the proposal. According to clean energy proponents, the organization fighting Proposal 3 is set to spend $7 million on television and radio ads in the weeks before the November elections.
In fact, here is a list of the groups opposing Proposal 3, including American Natural Gas Alliance, Consumers Energy, DTE Energy, and coal-hauling train giant CSX.
That money is making a difference.
Dirty-energy lobby in Michigan outspent clean-energy lobby by $2.7 million, drove ballot approval from 49% to 39%. bit.ly/Y4Syle
— David Roberts (@drgrist) October 26, 2012
Why aren’t national green groups flooding Michigan with pro-clean-energy money? Why why why?
— David Roberts (@drgrist) October 26, 2012
Some good news, David! One group is. Politico reports that “Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune is in Detroit today campaigning for Michigan’s Prop 3 ballot initiative.”
Unfortunately, it’s probably way too little way too late. A recent poll suggests Prop 3 is losing — 40 percent supports the measure while 45 percent opposes. With eight days left, even the ultimate combo — Brune, Roberts, Clinton — can’t turn this around.
