Clean energy industries are booming and powering Michigan’s economy, with Donald Trump and his Big Oil allies still trying to pull the plug. Since the passage of the clean energy plan, Michigan has benefited from new clean energy projects that have invested $26.6 billion and announced 21,748 jobs across the state, with many more to come. 

Michigan has seen the most new clean energy projects of any state since the passage of the clean energy plan and ranks second for new investment and fourth for new jobs. Not only are these companies creating new good-paying and unionized jobs, but some have invested in workforce training and skills development programs to build Michigan’s workforce for the future. These jobs build on Michigan’s established leadership on clean energy; the state is home to 143,723 clean energy jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. 

Michigan Has Seen the Largest Number of Clean Energy Investments in the Nation 

• Since the clean energy plan’s passage, 62 new clean energy projects have been announced or moved forward in Michigan, the most across any state in the nation. Across the state, new clean energy projects have already spurred $26.6 billion in investment, the second-highest in the nation, and created or moved forward 21,748 good-paying clean energy jobs, the fourth-most in the country. 

Michiganders Want Clean Energy

• The majority of voters in Michigan and the blue wall states—94% of Democrats, 71% of Independents, and even 52% of Republicans— say it is important for the US to increase its use of clean and renewable energy sources.
• 1-in-2 young voters (18-34), 66% of young women, and 63% of Black women in Michigan say that climate and clean energy issues are very important to their presidential vote this year.
• VP Harris leads Trump by +21pp in Michigan and other blue wall states on the issue of expanding clean energy (Harris 51% v Trump 30%) and by +24pp on the issue of climate change (Harris 51% v Trump 27%).

While Donald Trump has made false claims about Vice President Harris threatening energy jobs and production, there is no dispute that Trump is waging a war against clean energy nationwide as part of the “deal” he proposed to the Big Oil executives funding his campaign. In addition to promising to repeal the clean energy investments in the Inflation Reduction Act, which he consistently derides as a “scam,” he speaks obsessively about destroying the wind, solar, and electric vehicle industries, which would decimate domestic supply chains and raise costs for Michigan families.

While Trump poses an immediate threat to Michigan energy jobs and production, Vice President Harris and President Biden are growing the clean energy economy.

Here are 10 major clean energy projects, investments, and credits in Michigan that are supported by the Biden-Harris administration – and that are threatened by Donald Trump, JD Vance and their radical anti-clean energy agenda.

Ten Clean Energy Projects That Are Revitalizing Michigan Communities

1. Electric Vehicle Manufacturing is Revitalizing Bay City

Bay City, located in Mid-Michigan, has struggled to create good-paying jobs in the past decade. The city was devastated by the auto industry’s decline; the local GM manufacturing plant employed only a fraction of the workers that it did at its peak. Bay City’s economy was also hurt by the closure of nearby coal plants.  However, now new clean energy investments in Bay City are creating good-paying jobs and revitalizing the region’s auto manufacturing sector while providing vital inputs for the domestic electric vehicle (EV) supply chain. 

In February 2024, SK Siltron CSS received a $544 million conditional loan commitment from the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office to expand its silicon carbide wafer manufacturing facility in Bay City. The facility, which produces silicon carbide (SiC) wafers for power electronics in EVs, is projected to be among the top five manufacturers of SiC wafers globally thanks to expanded production made possible by the DOE loan. 

In addition, in June 2023, Mersen USA announced a $71 million investment to expand its Bay City manufacturing facility, creating 70 new jobs. Mersens’ announcement followed a $1.6 billion expansion of Bay Carbon’s manufacturing facility, further demonstrating the resurgence of investments in Bay City. The facility manufactures carbide-coated graphite components, which are crucial to the silicon chips used in EVs. State Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet, who represents Bay City, praised the investment, noting that it would create good-paying jobs for the city.

2. Corning Is Growing Solar Manufacturing In Richland Township

In February 2024, Corning announced it would open a solar component manufacturing facility in Richland Township, creating 1,151 new jobs paying an average of $28 per hour, which is about 46% higher than the region’s median hourly wage. The president of Saginaw Future Inc., the local economic development agency, said Corning’s investment was one of the largest economic development projects the area had seen in a generation and indicated the investment would result in “significant” levels of spin-off investments. 

3. EV Manufacturing Investment is Supporting Lansing Auto Industry

Auto manufacturing provided a stable base for Lansing, Michigan’s economy for decades. Michigan’s first auto manufacturing facility was located in the city, and the Lansing area has been home to two major GM manufacturing facilities since the early 2000s. Lansing’s economy has diversified, but auto manufacturing has provided “stability” for the region’s overall economy. 

In July 2024, General Motors received a $500 million grant, funded by the clean energy plan, to convert its Grand River Plant in Lansing for EV manufacturing. The grant and an additional $900 million investment by GM will retool production lines at the facility for EV production. The conversion allows the facility to retain 650 workers represented by United Auto Workers Local 652 and add 50 additional jobs at the factory. Lansing’s Mayor, Andy Schor, said the investment meant that “Lansing will continue to put the world on wheels, now and for decades into the future.”

4. Clean Energy Investments Are Revitalizing Michigan’s Energy Communities

In November 2023, LuxWall received a $31.7 million grant from the Department of Energy to construct a manufacturing facility in Detroit, Michigan. The manufacturing facility will be located on the site of a former coal plant in Detroit’s Delray neighborhood. LuxWall manufactures energy-efficient, vacuum-insulating glass that boosts heat retention by 45% and cooling retention by 60%. LuxWall planned to create 277 jobs at the factory, paying an average wage of $1,653 per week plus benefits. The company also planned to offer training and apprenticeship programs for local residents. LuxWall also pledged to install high-efficiency windows for local residents. 

5. Federal Incentives are Lowering Michiganders’ Home Energy Costs

Michigan received over $211 million in federal funding to launch new consumer home energy rebate programs, which will help low-income households save an average of 43% on home energy bills. Michigan’s Home Energy Rebate Programs are expected to become available this fall and will provide funding to lower the upfront cost of both energy efficiency upgrades like better insulation as well as cover the cost of efficient electric appliances, like heat pumps. In addition, thanks to tax credits covering 30% of the costs of installing solar panels, battery storage systems, and other home upgrades, an estimated 160,000 Michigan households are set to install rooftop solar panels – reducing their energy costs, and pollution, too. Even more households and communities will receive support for installing solar and energy storage thanks to Michigan’s $156 million Solar for All award courtesy of the EPA. The MI Solar for All program will support solar development for thousands of households in low-income and disadvantaged communities across Michigan through direct financial assistance for rooftop solar, community solar, and energy storage.

6. Solar Energy Powers a Community Resilience Hub in Detroit

A new community center in Detroit is also a community resilience center, thanks in part to new, more accessible clean energy tax credits provided by the Biden-Harris clean energy plan. The Jefferson Chalmbers community endured five devastating floods between 2011 and 2021, so local leaders worked together, and took advantage of new federal incentives, to create a new community center that could also serve as a resilience hub, where residents could gather during a disaster. The center also supports the community on a day-to-day basis, where kids do their homework and elderly residents play bingo or attend dance classes. The solar and energy storage technologies that power the center have reduced its energy costs by 15-20%.

7. Clean School Buses are providing Clean Air for Michigan School Children

54 Michigan school districts received over $77 million ​​from the EPA’s Clean School Bus Rebate Program to purchase low- and zero-emission school buses. In addition, five Michigan school districts received over $86.6 million in funding through the first Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition. The Pellston school district in rural northern Michigan was able to secure five brand-new electric school buses – replacing its entire fleet at no cost to the district – thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and the resulting state programs like the Michigan Clean School Bus Grant. 

8. Lower Energy Costs and More Renewables for Michigan’s Tribal Communities

Thanks to new investment from the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Community Change Grants program, tribal communities in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin will benefit from lower energy costs and reduced pollution. The EPA provided a grant of more than $20 million to Midwest Tribal Energy Resources Association (MTERA) and Grid Alternatives to install home weatherization and energy efficiency upgrades across 35 Tribes in the three states. The funds will also support a “Tribal Energy Champions” leadership development training program. In addition, the EPA recently announced that four tribes in Michigan will receive more than $38 million in Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) to support a range of projects, including solar and battery installations, energy efficiency and electrification, recycling, converting commercial vehicle fleets to electric vehicles, installing EV charging stations,  workforce development and training, habitat restoration, and more.

9. Michigan’s State Leaders are Working to Maximize the State’s Economic Opportunities with Clean Energy

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the state legislature are working alongside the Biden-Harris administration to maximize the state’s economic opportunities in building the clean energy economy. A new report conducted by the expert regional organization 5 Lakes concluded that the combination of the Biden-Harris clean energy plan and Michigan’s Clean Energy Future plan will together to provide the average household with $300 in annual energy cost savings, and will result in $15.6 billion in federal investments and $7.3 billion in public health cost savings, by 2030. The Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council said that “this report shows the strength of Michigan’s clean energy industry and its importance to the state’s economy.” And that “thanks in part to federal and state policies, companies across the clean energy industry are planning to expand operations and investments across Michigan.” 

10. Solar Brings Higher Wages, Lower Energy Costs to Rural Michigan

The Village of Baroda, Michigan has seen a huge benefit from solar installed thanks to incentives from the USDA Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) grant combined with clean energy tax credits, both made possible by the Biden-Harris clean energy plan. Lakeshore Die Cast, a local business, was able to cut energy costs by 100%, increase wages for its workers, and create at least 3 more jobs in the town of 1,000. On top of that, the State of Michigan will have additional resources to help locate renewable energy projects across the state thanks to a new $129.1 million Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. The award will support Michigan’s Renewables Ready Communities program, which will provide a boost to the siting, zoning, and permitting of renewable energy in partnership with local communities.