2024 MI Healthy Climate Plan Annual Report

2024 MI Healthy Climate Plan Annual Report highlights continued progress toward climate goals

Report highlights legislative action, state and federal funding, programs, and engagement that are growing the economy, creating good-paying jobs, lowering costs, and protecting our natural resources

Michigan continues to take bold steps to avert the worst impacts of climate change. The 2024 MI Healthy Climate Plan Report focuses on the past 12 months of new legislation, funding, initiatives, and more to build a cleaner, healthier, more prosperous future for all Michiganders.

The report assesses key accomplishments on the path to the state’s goal of 100% carbon neutrality by 2050 as spelled out in the MI Healthy Climate Plan (MHCP), the state’s climate action roadmap, and provides insight into public engagement and sector specific updates.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s (EGLE) Office of Climate and Energy (OCE) prepares the report annually and presents it to the Governor.

“Implementing the MI Healthy Climate Plan will reduce the impact of climate change on Michiganders, ensure we capture the benefits of a clean energy economy, and protect our precious land, air, and water resources,” said Phil Roos, EGLE Director. “We accomplished a lot in 2024 and set the stage for more progress to come. This report should provide valuable insights to our strategy and progress. I hope that it inspires continued partnership and action. We have a lot of work ahead of us and need everyone to join the fight against climate change and secure the benefits of this transition.”

Announced in 2022, the MHCP charts a path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 52% from 2005 levels by 2030 and achieving 100% carbon neutrality by 2050. It commits Michigan to strategies that mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, spur economic development and create good-paying jobs, improve the health of Michiganders, protect our natural resources and wildlife, make Michigan energy independent, and address environmental injustices.

Highlights of the 2024 report include:

• Implementing clean energy laws: State departments established workgroups, held public engagement sessions, and fleshed out a Community and Worker Economic Transition Office to support the landmark package of bills the Governor signed in November 2023.
• Lowering energy costs with new legislation: In July, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bill giving homeowners who are a part of a homeowner’s association the freedom to make energy-saving home improvements, including installing solar panels. The Governor also signed legislation to lower utility bills by increasing eligibility and funding for the Michigan Energy Assistance Program.
• Investing in impactful climate efforts: In June, the state Legislature passed a bipartisan budget that made significant investments to combat climate change, tracking closely with the MHCP’s Roadmap to 2030, including investments to add clean energy to the electric grid, increase public transit, improve housing, and more.
• Bringing home federal funding: A new report from Climate Power finds Michigan leads the nation in landing projects funded through the federal Inflation Reduction Act, spurring over $27.8 billion in investment and creating or advancing over 26,000 good-paying jobs. Michigan has also brought home significant resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that align with the MHCP. Among 20 significant federal allocations in 2024 are the following awards of $50 million or more:
  • A $1.52 billion loan guarantee to restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Southwest Michigan, providing power to over 800,000 households and businesses.
  • $156.2 million to launch the MI Solar for All program, increasing access to rooftop and community serving solar for low-income families and reducing energy bills by 20%.
  • $129.1 million to expand technical and financial resources for communities that choose to host renewable energy, clean energy workforce development, and more.
  • Approximately $87 million to tribes, local governments, and nonprofits to protect residents from extreme weather, expand clean energy projects, and more.
  • $67 million to upgrade the Livernois Intermodal Facility, reducing pollution for the surrounding neighborhoods.
  • $50 million for Nel Hydrogen to build an electrolyzer manufacturing facility in Michigan, creating more than 500 good-paying clean energy manufacturing jobs.
  • $50 million to make Michigan’s roads resilient to climate hazards such as flooding.
• Driving public service work in communities: Two cohorts of the MI Healthy Climate Corps were launched, with 61 corps placements across the state to develop practical resources for Michiganders, bolster the state’s sustainability workforce, guide resources to communities, and build climate action capacity in communities while gaining workforce and leadership skills.
• Sharing data and providing sector-specific snapshots: The report summarizes actions to support communities and workers, reduce environmental injustices, and reach climate goals across the five largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions: electrical power generation, transportation, the built environment, industry, and natural and working lands.

The report also provides an update on activities of the Michigan Council on Climate Solutions and the Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice, which met several times last year on ongoing MHCP implementation. EGLE’s OCE continues to work in concert with state departments and agencies, tribal and local governments, and other key partners to ensure that all Michiganders enjoy the benefits of this transition.

About the MI Healthy Climate Plan and Annual Report

In 2020, Governor Whitmer assigned EGLE, through its OCE, the task of developing the MCHP. The MHCP was released in April 2022 after extensive statewide engagement that included consultation with tribal governments; meetings with the Council on Climate Solutions, workgroup members, and key stakeholders; and consultation from the Michigan Advisory Council on Environmental Justice. Since 2022, the OCE has provided an annual report to the Governor on activities in support of the plan’s implementation.