Shareholders Call on CMS Energy to Invest in Renewables at Annual Shareholder Meeting

Shareholders question CMS plans for continued reliance on dirty energy

May 17, 2013 - JACKSON – CMS Energy executives faced questions from shareholders Friday morning at their annual general meeting for shareholders about the company’s plans to continue investing in fossil fuel electric generation, like coal and natural gas, over renewable energy and energy efficiency.

“CMS Energy has an opportunity to be not just a true energy leader, but also more profitable down the road so it can continue creating Michigan jobs and providing Michigan energy to families and businesses,”   said Debra Rowe, a CMS Energy shareholder from Farmington Hills. “It is time that CMS Energy expand their use of new, clean energy sources like solar and wind, not only for the health and safety of our communities but for a return on investment.”

CMS Energy has met it’s renewable energy goal and has lowered their renewable energy surcharge to customerrs further, as a result of lower than expected costs for renewable energy.  The company also exceeded its energy efficiency goals and has been awarded performance incentive payments by the Michigan Public Service Commission, but continues to limit its investment to the bare minimum required by law.

“Shareholders are paying a heavy price as a consequence of CMS’ dependence on dirty energy. Michigan residents shouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of the utility’s risky business decisions,” said Frank Zaski, a CMS shareholder from Franklin.  “Instead of investing in aging infrastructure to continue to burn dirty coal and build a new natural gas plant, CMS has the opportunity to earn returns on large capital investments in clean renewable energy, unleashing innovation and creating thousands of jobs for Michigan workers in new industries.”

CMS has been debating mothballing seven old coal units at the Cobb, Whiting and Karn Weadock plants in 2015, but recently requested an extension for 2016.   The company has also been making costly updates at its other coal plants to continue to keep them running and plans to build a new 700 megawatt natural gas plant in Thetford, Michigan.

“It makes financial sense for CMS to continue to transition away from dirty coal and natural gas and start getting serious about clean energy and energy efficiency investments,” continued Rowe.   “The company’s poor environmental performance and continuing investment in coal are putting shareholder value at risk.”

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), electric rates in Michigan are higher than in 38 other states and are among the highest in the country. Michigan rates were up eight percent last year, compared to rates across the country that were up one percent. By transitioning away from expensive, dirty coal to renewable sources like wind and solar power and by maximizing energy efficiency, CMS could save shareholders money.  

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Clean Energy Now is a collaboration of nearly 50 non-profit organizations in Michigan working to move our state toward a clean energy future.

Less=More Coalition Offers Sustainable Livestock Farmers Easy Access to Subsidy Info

New Web Link Quickly Connects Farmers With Application and Subsidy List

Media Contact: Gail Philbin, gail.philbin@sierraclub.org, 312-493-2384

Lansing, Mich.— As part of its effort to help level the playing field for sustainable livestock farmers in Michigan, the Less=More Coalition has made available information about taxpayer-funded Farm Bill conservation subsidies in one place online at http://tinyurl.com/EQIPsubsidies.

“Farmers are busy folks, and sustainable farmers often lack the kind of outreach and support for farm program applications that large-scale industrial farm operators receive,” said Sandy Nordmark, vice president of the Michigan Farmers Union, which is a member of Less=More. “We aim to make it as easy as possible for them to access funding possibilities for their conservation practices by putting all the information they need in one cyber-location.”

Less=More is a sustainable agriculture coalition launched earlier this year to address the inequity of Farm Bill subsidy distribution in Michigan and how the system favors polluting factory farms over safe, sustainable livestock farms at the expense of the environment and public health

The Less=More web link connects farmers with basic information about 2013 Farm Bill subsidies in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in Michigan. It includes a listing of the more than 100 conservation practices funded by EQIP and the amount of money available for each practice as well as the most current EQIP application.

“This information is available on the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Michigan website, but it can be tricky to find if you don’t know where to look,” said Lynn Henning, a Water Sentinel for the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, another Less=More coalition member.  “We make it as simple as possible. A farmer can sit down and get an idea of what’s out there for him or her with a click or two of the mouse.”

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the agency that distributes taxpayer-funded subsidies through a State Conservationist in Michigan, is mandated to distribute 60 percent of the EQIP funds to livestock operations. Currently, most go to support Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), also known as factory farms, in Michigan.

Of the 104 EQIP subsidies available in 2013, 53 are practices identified by the NRCS as being applicable to farmers with organic certification, according to Henning. These include such activities as brush management, grassed waterways, fencing and filter strips.

Although about half of the practices are listed as organic, the reality is that the biggest EQIP subsidies go to support practices dealing with waste -- handling, storage, separators, transfer systems and biodigesters -- that are specific to large-scale operations with thousands of animals that generate millions of gallons of manure. For example, a factory farm can apply for and receive more than $43,000 for a solid/liquid waste separation facility, and anaerobic digesters fetch anywhere from roughly $300-$600 per animal unit, which translates to a substantial sum for an operation with thousands of animals.

“Essentially, factory farms take a perfectly good natural material – animal manure — and concentrate it until it becomes an environmental issue and then they receive federal money to address the problem they’ve created,” said Anne Woiwode, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter director. “Meanwhile, sustainable farmers who work with nature and have appropriate numbers of animals for the amount of land available have little need for funds to address such problems, but they—and consumers--would benefit greatly from receiving more support for their sustainable practices.”

In addition, this taxpayer money doesn’t always solve an operation’s underlying environmental problems, according to a recent report by Less=More, Restoring the Balance to Michigan’s Farming Landscape, which demonstrates that many polluting factory farms have continued to receive taxpayer money. The report found that 37 Michigan factory farms cited for environmental violations and unpermitted discharges over the 15 years ending in 2011 were awarded nearly $27 million in various Farm Bill subsidies between 1995 and 2011.  Of these operations, 26 jointly racked up fines and penalties of more than $1.3 million for their share of these violations.

“Taxpayers are providing millions of dollars in government subsidies to industrial mega-farms in Michigan that generate pollution and cause health risks while undermining sustainable farms at the same time,” said Woiwode. “This happens at a time when more and more Michigan consumers are seeking safe, healthy, local sources of meat, dairy, poultry and eggs at farmers markets, stores, restaurants and community supported agriculture.”

Less=More is a coalition of organizations engaged in various aspects of our food system that seek to level the playing field for sustainable farmers by addressing the inequity of how taxpayer subsidies are distributed in Michigan. It includes: Beery Farms of Michigan, LLC, the Center for Food Safety, Crane Dance Farm, LLC, Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan, Food & Water Watch, Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council, Groundswell Farm, Humane Society of the United States, Michigan Farmers Union, Michigan Voices for Good Food Policy, Michigan Young Farmers Coalition, Sierra Club Michigan Chapter and Socially Responsible Agricultural Project.

Restoring the Balance to Michigan’s Farming Landscape and other information about Less=More is available at www.MoreforMichigan.org.

Volunteers Needed for Farmers Market Blitz This Summer

The Less=More Coalition Needs Your Help!

The Less=More Coalition is looking for volunteers to help collect petition signatures at farmers markets around the state this summer. We need help harnessing the voice of concerned consumers like you who want to help even the playing field for sustainable agriculture in Michigan by sending a message to Garry Lee, the Michigan State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, to stop using taxpayer subsidies to support polluting factory farms.

 Lee has the power to reapportion how Farm Bill subsidies are distributed, and right now, they heavily favor massive animal factories that cram thousands of animals into warehouses and pollute our water and air. (If you haven't already, click here to send him an email.)

 

 If you have an hour or two to spare this summer, spend it at your local farmers market getting signatures for our petition! A small amount of your time can yield big benefits for sustainable farming in Michigan. For details, contact gail.philbin@sierraclub.org. Thank you!

Clean Energy Advocates Call on DTE to be Accountable to Michigan Shareholders & Ratepayers

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Clean Energy Advocates Call on DTE to be Accountable to Michigan Shareholders & Ratepayers

Michigan shareholders and ratepayers hold press conference outside DTE Headquarters to represent Southeast Michigan’s missing voices from DTE shareholder meeting in NYC

DETROIT – Dozens of ratepayers and shareholders gathered in front of DTE Energy’s headquarters today as Michigan’s largest utility held its annual shareholder meeting in New York City, far from its ratepayers and those affected by its corporate policies. The clean energy advocates raised concerns about DTEs dependence on coal, which poses a health risk for residents and a financial risk for shareholders. Clean Energy Now members spoke to an empty chair, symbolizing DTE CEO Gerry Anderson and the board who refused to face concerned shareholders in the utility’s hometown. The group delivered thousands of comments and petitions from DTE’s ratepayers across Southeast Michigan calling on DTE to support clean energy and energy efficiency as well.

“Ratepayers and shareholders are paying a heavy price as a consequence of DTE’s dependence on dirty energy. Michigan ratepayers shouldn’t have to shoulder the burden of the utility’s risky business decisions,” said Frank Zaski, a DTE shareholder and ratepayer from Franklin.  “Instead of investing in aging infrastructure to continue to burn dirty coal or building an unneeded and extremely costly nuclear plant, DTE has the opportunity to earn returns on large capital investments in clean renewable energy, unleashing innovation and creating thousands of jobs for Michigan workers in new industries.”

Southeast Michigan is home to DTE Energy’s dirty and outdated coal plants, which emit enormous amounts of sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, mercury, soot, smog and particulate matter. Recent studies have linked these contaminants to numerous health problems, including: heart disease, childhood asthma, lung disease and neurological impairment, particularly in infants.  Currently, almost every coal plant owned by DTE has been cited for environmental violations, with several lawsuits against the company by environmental agencies and organizations pending.   

“My kid deserves better, and so do all of the children of southeast Michigan,” said Nicole O’Brien, a concerned mother and ratepayer in Beverly Hills. “It’s shameful DTE is avoiding listening to parents who have kids with health problems. We know these plants are making people sick, yet DTE continues to rely on coal as our major energy source. I’m encouraging DTE to do the right thing and to open their ears to the voices of concerned Michigan residents. It’s long overdue we transition away from coal and embrace renewable energy alternatives to clean up our state and to prevent pollution from harming our kids.”

Douglas Myers, resident of River Rouge who deals with pollution from DTE’s River Rouge coal plant daily, traveled to the New York City annual meeting and said he “felt it necessary to make our voices heard during DTE’s shareholder meeting in NYC for the future of the Downriver Area as well as others that have been at risk for quite sometime due to the dependency of DTE's use of  antiquated coal-fired power plants.”

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), electric rates in Michigan are higher than in 38 other states and are among the highest in the country. Michigan rates were up eight percent last year, compared to rates across the country that were up one percent. By transitioning away from expensive, dirty coal to renewable sources like wind and solar power and by maximizing energy efficiency, DTE could save ratepayers money.  DTE has not made significant investments or commitments to bolster energy efficiency and renewable energy sources beyond the minimum required by state law, publicly stating that no further decisions on clean energy mandates should be made until after the current ones expire in 2015.

In 2012, DTE spent more than $11.8 million to defeat a referendum to raise Michigan’s renewable energy requirements to the same level as found in several neighboring states, despite private acknowledgement that the increased renewable requirement would not harm the company financially.  DTE is also artificially limiting its energy efficiency programs though they are the cheapest form of power. The shareholders and ratepayers at the event today called on DTE to embrace clean energy to help lower costs for ratepayers and to protect Michigan’s air and water.

 

“DTE needs to answer to Michigan residents instead of hiding in New York,” says Dan Marcin, shareholder and PhD candidate in economics from Ann Arbor. “We're calling on DTE to embrace clean, renewable energy to save ratepayers money, and to protect the health and well-being of middle class Michigan families. Let’s launch DTE out of the past and into a cleaner, brighter future. We can only move forward together if DTE’s CEO Gerry Anderson will listen to our collective concerns, and together we are rallying for change.”

Groups that delivered petitions and public comments on Thursday included: Clean Water Action, Ecology Center, Progress Michigan, Sierra Club and Union of Concerned Scientists  .

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Clean Energy Now is a collaboration of nearly 50 non-profit organizations in Michigan working to move our state toward a clean energy future.

Consumer Reports finds superbugs in turkey

Consumer Reports finds superbugs in turkey Our new study found more evidence that raising food animals on antibiotics can impact the effectiveness of our life-saving drugs. If you want antibiotics to work when you need them, tell Congress to stop the mass feeding of drugs to animals.

Consumer Reports’ latest investigation confirms that all those antibiotics being fed to our food animals domatter.

Released today, our study found meat from conventionally raised turkeys – which can be routinely fed antibiotics –had bacteria resistant to more drugs than birds raised without antibiotics. Since one way superbugs can spread to people is through raw meat, it’s crucial you know these findings.

It's important to cook turkey thoroughly, and we have tips to help you avoid antibiotic-raised meat. But just avoiding the problem isn’t the solution. Industrial food producers must stop playing this dangerous game with our life-saving drugs – and a bill has been introduced to do just that!

Email Congress to stop mass feeding of antibiotics to food animals, and check out our new investigation and tips.

Eighty percent of antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used by beef, pork and poultry producers so healthy animals can plump up faster and tolerate crowded, unsanitary conditions. This daily use of antibiotics kills off those bacteria vulnerable to drugs, leaving immune ‘superbugs’ to flourish and spread to animals, the environment, and eventually, us. 

We’re tackling this problem from every angle. Consumer Reports is testing food for these bacteria, and making sure labels mean what they say so you can shop smart. We’re backing a bill in Congress to end the routine use of antibiotics on food animals. It would preserve our antibiotics by phasing out mass-feeding of drugs to food animals, restricting their use to sick animals.

And we’re on the ground asking Trader Joe's – one of the nation’s most progressive grocers that has already demonstrated care for customers' health on other issues – to lead the way and stop selling meat raised on drugs.

Tell Congress to save our antibiotics for when we need them. Get this bill moving.

Ask your friends and family to join you in taking action – this is a problem we can fix if we all demand action.

Sincerely,
Jean Halloran, Consumers Union
Policy and Action from Consumer Reports

Subsidies Information for Sustainable Farmers

FACT SHEET

2014 Farm Bill Conservation Subsidies

After years of political wrangling, the 2014 Farm Bill was signed into law by President Obama on Feb. 7 on the campus of Michigan State University. The five-year, $956 billion bill includes $56 billion in funding for conservation programs, with $8.9 billion going to the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).  For an overview of the 2014 Farm Bill, visit: http://tinyurl.com/FBoverview 

To read the Farm Bill in its entirety:  http://tinyurl.com/actualfarmbill

What is EQIP The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a Farm Bill Conservation Program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers to address natural resource concerns. It aims to deliver environmental benefits such as improved water and air quality, ground and surface water conservation, soil erosion and sedimentation reduction and wildlife habitat http://tinyurl.com/EQIPoverview


Categories of EQIP practices eligible for funding in Michigan include:

• Animal Waste
• National Water Quality Initiative
• Conservation Activity Plans
• Organic Initiative
• Energy American Indian Tribes
• Locally-Led Conservation: MAEAP Water Quality Monitoring
• Wayne County Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative

For a list of specific practices and the funding available visit: http://tinyurl.com/MichiganEQIP

How to Apply for EQIP  If you’ve never applied for EQIP funds, you should know that you need to have an approved Conservation Action Plan before you’re eligible to apply for EQIP funds.  So, the first step is to apply for funds to develop the plan with an approved “technical service provider.”  The deadline for this application is usually early in the year. After you get the funds and the plan is approved, you’re free to apply for EQIP funds in the following year.  For details on the application process for EQIP, visit: http://tinyurl.com/EQIPsteps

Find your local NRCS field office:  http://tinyurl.com/NRCSofficelocator

For more info about Michigan’s EQIP program:
Steve Law, EQIP Coordinator; Phone:  (517) 324-5282; E-mail: steven.law@mi.usda.gov

Clean Energy Advocates to DTE: Stop Attacking Pollution Rules

Monday, April 15th 2013

Contact:  Tiffany Hartung, 248-933-2451, tiffany.hartung@sierraclub.org,

Utility ignores coal’s costly health problems in push for dirtier air

DETROIT – Members of Clean Energy Now (CEN) are urging DTE Energy to stop pushing Congress to roll back air pollution rules for its aging coal-fired power plants.

DTE has posted an online petition, entitled “Keep Our Power Affordable,” calling on U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D) and Senator Levin (D) to loosen existing federal limits on coal plant pollution set by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which include the neurotoxin mercury, other heavy metals, oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, and particulate matter--all tied to serious health effects. The company claims the pollution rules cost too much money.

“It’s shameful to think DTE would try to mislead Michigan residents under the guise of saving money,” said Eric Keller with Clean Water Action. “If DTE gets its way, and sticks with dirty coal, we’ll pay more for health care instead of paying less for electricity by investing in less-expensive renewable energy and the world’s cheapest power source--energy efficiency.”

Studies show renewable energy sources like wind and dramatically step up its investment in customer energy efficiency, and saving on utility costs. Health advocates know there is a greater cost on Michigan residents’ health by using coal as a power source.

“As a nurse, I know the high human cost our residents suffer from the use of outdated, dirty coal for our energy,” said Joyce Stein, a registered nurse at the University of Michigan Health System. “The dirty air and water produced by coal-fired plants can cause higher rates of asthma, lung disease and other illnesses, especially in children, and contributes to hundreds of deaths. DTE’s efforts to stop the EPA from enforcing scientific pollution standards will only put more lives at risk.”

According to a report from the Clean Air Task Force, DTE’s Belle River, River Rouge, St. Clair and Trenton Channel coal-fired power plants collectively contribute to 267 premature deaths, 434 heart attacks and 4,180 asthma attacks each year. The Sierra Club has filed suit against the company for more than 1,400 Clean Air Act violations at its aging coal plants--violations that can harm public health.

“The Sierra Club is pursuing its lawsuit because 1,400 Clean Air Act violations are appalling,” said Brad van Guilder with Sierra Club. “DTE shouldn’t get a ‘get out of jail free’ card for these violations. It’s time for the utility to start taking responsibility for the negative health effects of coal pollution. We’re calling on DTE to make clean, renewable energy a priority to save ratepayers’ money and protect their health.”

DTE draws 80 percent of its electricity from coal-fired power plants--one of the highest percentages in the state. The rising cost of coal in Michigan has pushed up DTE’s rates and made Michigan the Midwest’s most expensive power market.

Meanwhile, studies continue to confirm that clean sources of energy like wind and solar--and efficiency projects for homes and businesses--have created thousands of jobs in Michigan. Moving away from coal power and toward more renewables and efficiency would create many more good-paying, non-exportable jobs.

“It’s obvious DTE has more interest in defending its outmoded business model than in behaving more responsibly, embracing the change that’s sweeping the energy world, and boosting investments in affordable renewable energy,” said Nicole O’Brien, ratepayer and concerned resident from Lake Orion. “Now is the time for DTE to leave coal in the past and help lead Michigan toward a clean, more prosperous energy future.”

BACKGROUND:

DTE Website- http://www.dteenergy.com/dteEnergyCompany/aboutDTEEnergy/

DTE “Keep Power Affordable” link- http://www.keepourpoweraffordable.com/

Clean Energy Now petition to transition to clean energy: www.cleanenergynowmi.org/take-action

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