LANSING, MAY 18, 2023 — State Rep. Helena Scott (D-Detroit), chair of the Energy, Communications, and Technology Committee, held a press conference today announcing details of the Energy Reliability, Resilience and Accountability Task Force and the corresponding Dependable Energy Listening Tour. The bipartisan task force and listening tour have been created to collect data, information, and resident and business owner experiences regarding the large-scale, prolonged power outages that occurred earlier this year after severe storms.
“Tackling energy issues facing our state is a crucial enterprise that this bipartisan task force is taking very seriously,” Scott said. “All Michigan residents deserve to have reliable energy that is supported by a strong infrastructural foundation — that includes an electrical grid that is trustworthy and up-to-date. On our dependable energy listening tour, we are going to visit all regions across the state to hear from consumers about what they need to ensure they can rest easy knowing that they will have power, no matter what weather comes at us. Throughout the tour, we will be developing data-driven legislation to deliver dependable energy solutions to Michigan.”
Background:
When severe storms wreaked havoc throughout Michigan earlier this year, hundreds of thousands of households and businesses lost power, leading to calls for utility companies to be held to account. With increases in extreme weather events, legislators have called to create a comprehensive, statewide package of reforms that will support consumer protection, promote affordable access to energy and ensure infrastructure dependability. The task force and listening tour are part of these continued and ongoing efforts.
Members of the Energy Reliability, Resilience and Accountability Task Force:
State Rep. Helena Scott (Chair)
State Rep. Abe Aiyash
State Rep. Joey Andrews
State Rep. John Fitzgerald
State Rep. Jenn Hill
State Rep. Cynthia Neely
State Rep. Pat Outman
State Rep. Amos O’Neal
State Rep. Pauline Wenzel