Chamber, utilities behind campaign to shortchange future for profits now

This was making the rounds this morning.

But that’s not sitting well with large power companies and the Chamber of Commerce.

Yesterday, a group backed by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and two of the state’s largest utilities rolled out a campaign to stop the ballot initiative before it truly begins.

The group’s messaging, which contradicts real-world experience with renewable energy deployment in Michigan and surrounding states, is typical for the heel-dragging, climate change-denying Chamber of Commerce. Even with the overwhelming positive economic evidence and the diverse range of businesses supporting an increase in renewable energy in the state, the Chamber and its utility allies say they’re ready to put up a big fight.

Last week came news that the Chamber had asked Ruth Johnson to put the brakes on the Protect Our Jobs ballot question. They're going to be mighty active this fall, it appears.

By the way, this wasn't making the rounds this morning, but it's something that ought to be. It's Krugman.

This has already led to rapid growth in solar installations, but even more change may be just around the corner. If the downward trend continues — and if anything it seems to be accelerating — we’re just a few years from the point at which electricity from solar panels becomes cheaper than electricity generated by burning coal.

And if we priced coal-fired power right, taking into account the huge health and other costs it imposes, it’s likely that we would already have passed that tipping point.

This has been true for a few months now, at least in Michigan. Here, the cost of building solar facilities and generating electricity is currently less than building a coal plant and operating it. That's the Energy Information Administration's assessment, anyway.

I saw that benevolent overlord Rick Michigan has concerns that the ballot proposal doesn't include energy efficiency, which is indeed a drawback.  But, this stuff represents the future, a future that the utilities and Chamber of Commerce are fighting to prevent.