Whitmer Undoes Her Own Environmental Legacy By Backing (You Guessed It!) Tax Incentives For Data Centers

[hatrack]

In late 2023, an unlikely state in the country’s industrial heartland passed nation-leading climate laws—Michigan. The “bold” and “ambitious” plan drew praise for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a potential Democratic 2028 presidential candidate. But the laws, which require Michigan to generate all of its electricity from carbon-free sources by 2040, are likely going to be derailed.

Soon after they were signed, Whitmer backed tax incentive bills for energy-hungry data centers. An “off ramp” provision in the climate laws allows fossil fuel plants to stay online or be built past 2040 if clean energy can’t meet demand. The data centers are already poised to trigger the off ramp and utilities are planning new gas plants.

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Though many Democrats pushed for requirements for data centers to generate their own renewable energy and save the climate law, Whitmer publicly did nothing to preserve her signature environmental measure. The apparent lack of interest “shows where the priorities are,” said Christy McGillivray, previously a lobbyist with Sierra Club Michigan, which fought to save the climate laws. Wegela echoed that: “Not saying anything is also saying something in another way.”

The likely death of Whitmer’s climate bills is emblematic of the broader frustration and tension in how Whitmer approached environmental issues. Her 2018 win generated optimism in the wake of the environmentally disastrous era under former Republican Gov. Rick Snyder that culminated in the Flint water crisis. But when conflicts between the interests of polluters who served Whitmer’s economic agenda and public health arose, the governor virtually always sided with industry, which often included large campaign donors, sources said. Nearly 25 legislators, environmental activists, attorneys and residents spoke with Inside Climate News for this story.

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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22122025/michigan-gov-gretchen-whitmer-environmental-record/

[NNadir]

1. There has never been, and never will be, an energy statement quite as clueless as this:

...requirements for data centers to generate their own renewable energy...

By definition, a data center runs 24/7, 365.24 days per year.

So called "renewable energy" um, doesn't. It's widely reported that the sun goes down every night, and near the solstice, which we happen to be experiencing right now, sunrise in Lansing Michigan is at 8:05 in the morning, sunset 5:08 pm, minutes over 9 hiours, with much of that time indirect light, assuming there's no snow covering the solar cells.

The reason that we can't live without turning out the lights and cutting all other demands without fossil fuels is because we lie to ourselves by saying unreliable energy is the only acceptable form of energy.

This makes us look like fools. Would Governor Whitmer be popular and electable if she announced that "by 2040" if the State is not powered by 100% "renewable energy," no one will have power until the sun shines and the wind blows?

There is reliable carbon free energy available. Governor Whitman supports it. It's nuclear energy.

She initiated the reopening of the Palisades Nuclear Plant.

Thus she is doing more to address climate than the fucking Sierra Club, the Club that thinks every fucking wilderness on the planet should be torn to pieces for wind and solar crap. (John Muir would vomit to see this modern pro-development "club." )

In fact, she's doing more than the "journalists" at "Inside Climate News" a "news" organization that thinks so called "renewable energy" can be chanted into viability.

It can't. It won't be.

She, Governor Whitman, and I are both Democrats who embrace a sense of reality. She is doing her part to de-demonize the only realistic solution to address the climate. That is nuclear energy. Decade after decade after decade of chanting "Renewable energy!!! Renewable Energy!!! Renewable Energy" has left the fossil fuel industry in command of the world energy supply and as a result, the planet in flames. And let's be clear, so called "renewable energy" was never about attacking fossil fuels. It was, is, and always will be about attacking nuclear energy, it's only success. It is therefore unsurprising to see the "renewable energy" chanting squad attacking the Governor as if she doesn't give a shit.

On the contrary, she not only cares, she's doing something about it.

In fact, if there are any people driving the climate crisis now expressed by extremely unstable weather, I think the "renewable energy will save us" crowd ought to invest in mirrors if they want to understand the cause of this disaster: The demonization of nuclear energy.