Michigan Voters Want Environmental Voices Behind Climate Policy, Not Big Polluters

By Grace Adcox and Isa Alomran

With the aim of meeting the state’s ambitious climate targets under the Michigan Healthy Climate Plan, Michigan lawmakers have proposed Senate Bill 275, which would establish a “Clean Fuel Standard” for the state. Some lawmakers have touted the bill as a climate win, given its intent to lower the carbon intensity of fuels used and establish a market for trading carbon intensity credits in Michigan. The bill, however, includes renewable natural gas, including biomethane, among a list of so-called clean transportation fuels, which are not clean and will delay decarbonization efforts in the state. 

Despite the name invoking ideas of sustainability and natural inputs, manure-derived biomethane is anything but. Biomethane is produced through a process of anaerobic digestion – a process which turns the copious amounts of manure collected from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) into methane fuel and other byproducts, including dirty runoff. Not only would this bill lead to water and air quality impacts in Michigan, but it would also reward companies in polluting industries with financial credits for turning waste into biomethane.

In a survey conducted with Farm Forward, Data for Progress finds that large pluralities of Michigan voters, at minimum, believe oil and gas companies and large factory farms have negative environmental and health impacts. Voters most want environmental organizations (64%), clean energy companies, like wind and solar producers (62%), public health organizations (62%), and small family farms (59%) involved in shaping and implementing climate legislation. In contrast, voters least want fossil fuel companies (48%), and large-scale CAFOs  (40%) involved in climate legislation. Moreover, after learning information about the groups that influenced the creation of the Clean Fuel Standard bill and reading language from both supporters and opponents of the bill, respondents switched from 52% initial support for the bill to only 37% by the final assessment.

Additionally, the survey finds that almost three-quarters of Michigan voters (73%) support making polluters pay for damages from climate disasters, like wildfires, droughts, and floods. This includes strong bipartisan support, with majorities of Democrats (88%), Independents (67%), and Republicans (65%) in favor of making polluters pay for their climate impacts.