In Michigan, the price of energy is on the ballot and both parties know it

Energy costs are a central issue in Michigan's midterm elections this fall, and the outcome could shape the state's energy policy for years. Gas prices spiked roughly 32 percent in three weeks this spring after conflict broke out with Iran, briefly topping $4 a gallon, while electricity and gas rates have climbed too. One Lansing resident described his utility bill as "almost $400."

The political fight centers on Michigan's 2023 Clean Energy and Jobs Act, which requires 100 percent renewable electricity by 2040. House Republicans recently passed a package to repeal those requirements, arguing the mandates favor big utilities over ratepayers. The bill appears stalled in the Democratic-controlled state Senate for now, but the state's two largest utilities, DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, are set to file long-term energy plans in 2026 under the current law, meaning this election could determine which rules apply. Consumers Energy has also just requested another electricity rate hike.

Data centers are another flashpoint, since their growing power demand has been pushing up utility rates. Some candidates are pledging tighter rules on data centers and utilities, while some labor unions support the projects for the jobs they bring. Separately, Michigan has lost billions in planned clean-energy manufacturing investment and jobs, along with hundreds of millions in canceled climate grants, including money meant to help low-income households install solar panels.

For homeowners, the practical stakes are these: how much your electricity and gas bills rise, and whether state support for renewable energy and low-income solar programs expands or shrinks, may depend on who wins in November.