A new year offers an opportunity to correct course, and in Michigan, nowhere is a new course more needed than our state’s energy policy. Families are paying more, trusting less, and wondering why reliability now feels like a gamble. As Chair of the House Energy Committee, my priority in the year ahead is to restore a basic principle government too often forgets: energy policy should work for the people who pay the bills.

That effort begins with Project Lighthouse. For too long, Lansing relied on mandates that forced costly and unproven technologies onto our grid regardless of price or performance. The result was predictable: higher utility bills and declining reliability. Project Lighthouse repeals those policies and restores an all of the above approach that prioritizes cost discipline, proven performance, and reliability. When affordability is the goal instead of ideology, families are no longer treated as Lansing’s piggy bank.

Reliability must be the standard by which all future energy laws are judged. Current law accelerates the shutdown of dependable baseload power without guaranteeing replacement capacity, placing our grid under strain when demand is highest. Project Lighthouse makes reliability the North Star. It keeps existing plants online until replacements are fully operational and prioritizes dependable baseload resources, including next generation nuclear technology. Energy policy isn’t theoretical. When temperatures plunge or demand spikes, the lights must stay on.

Restoring balance between the state and local communities is another core principle of Project Lighthouse. The 2023 energy package sidelined local voices and weakened zoning authority, particularly in rural communities. My approach restores local control, protects farmland, and treats communities as partners in Michigan’s energy future.

Project Lighthouse re-sets the table, but this year must also deliver results. As Chair, advancing House Bills 4787 and 4788 is near the top of my list.  This legislation will modernize Michigan’s electric distribution system and improve day to day reliability. Generating power doesn’t matter if the product can’t reach the customer.

I’m also making it a priority to get the bipartisan Nuclear Package, House Bills 4124 through 4129, out of the Senate and to the governor’s desk.

This year is about execution. Setting a clear direction, strengthening the system we rely on, and ensuring Michigan has the dependable energy it needs to grow.