Shivering in the Dark? Sierra Club Opposes 91 Percent of Michigan Electricity

Natural gas, coal and nuclear make this state's lights go on

By Tom Gantert | July 20, 2016

The Sierra Club environmental organization opposes the three sources of energy responsible for 91 percent of the electricity generated in Michigan. It has been outspoken in its stance against the use of natural gas, coal and nuclear power to generate electricity for Michigan households and businesses.

Michigan generates 32 percent of its electricity by burning coal and another 32 percent comes from nuclear power plants. Natural gas accounts for another 27 percent of electricity generation. Wind and solar account for less than 7 percent of net electricity generation in this state.

“The Sierra Club opposes, or is pushing to phase out, over 90 percent of the energy resources that we depend on for our lives and well-being,” said Jason Hayes, the director of environmental policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

“They ‘prefer’ or don’t ‘categorically oppose’ the development of limited, low- or no-impact, renewable resources that provide far less than 10 percent of our current energy demand,” Hayes continued. “However, they put heavy restrictions on how the ‘preferred’ energy options can be developed or used.”

Hayes said if 90 percent of the state’s energy is shut off, it would have catastrophic impacts on human life. “You limit almost every aspect of human life and progress — the ability to work and earn a living, medicine, food production, heating and cooling, transportation, etc.,” Hayes said.

Gail Philbin, the director of the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Sierra Club’s national coal spokesman Ricky Junquera didn’t respond to emails seeking comment.

The Sierra Club's website states: "We have a vision of a world powered by clean energy, where dirty and dangerous fossil fuels are a thing of the past and everyone can enjoy cleaner air and water thanks to renewable energy resources."

The Sierra Club has a webpage devoted to natural gas titled, “DIRTY, DANGEROUS, AND RUN AMOK.”

The Sierra Club has championed shutting down coal plants across the country.

The organization's page on nuclear power says this: “The Sierra Club remains unequivocally opposed to nuclear energy.” The Sierra Club’s Executive Director Michael Brune called nuclear power “dangerous” in an article in the Wall Street Journal.

A spokesman for the Nuclear Energy Institute objected to the Sierra Club’s statement that nuclear power is dangerous.

“Our nation’s nuclear energy facilities are in fact very safe,” said Tom Kauffman, the director of media relations for the Nuclear Energy Institute. “After more than 60 years of commercial nuclear energy production in the United States, including over 3,900 reactor-years of operation, there have been no radiation-related health effects linked to their operation. Studies by the National Cancer Institute and The United Nations Scientific Committee of the Effects of Atomic Radiation show that U.S. nuclear power plants effectively protect the public’s health and safety. Nuclear plants also are safe for workers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is safer to work at a nuclear plant than at a fast food restaurant, a grocery store or in real estate.”

Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.

Six Numbers Showing Detroit’s Pension Problems

Retiree costs are still crowding out services

By Josh Paladino | July 20, 2016

Cities across Michigan and the nation are struggling to pay out their promised pensions. Retiree liabilities were a root cause of Detroit's bankruptcy before a grand bargain trimmed benefits and required the city to set its pensions on a path toward solvency.

Here are six numbers that explain the pension problems in Michigan’s largest city and what is being done going forward.

1. Nine Years – That’s how long Detroit could fund its entire transportation system with the money it will spend on its pension bankruptcy settlement.

According to Detroit’s 2015 audit, transportation costs the city $100 million per year. Detroit’s pension settlement will cost $979 million through 2023. This money could also fund the city’s water system for three years or sewage for 2 1/2 years.

2. $195 million – That’s how much Michigan taxpayers paid to bail out Detroit’s pension system.

Taxpayers took a hit for Detroit’s failed pension system. Detroit isn’t alone, though, as lots of cities around Michigan haven’t been putting away enough money. Flint has had an emergency manager put in place six times since 2002, but its pension system remains at only 47 percent funded with a $285 million liability.

3. $1.33 billion – That’s the amount Detroit cut from retirees pensions during bankruptcy.

Michigan’s Constitution protects government pensions as contractual rights, but in federal bankruptcy court, those contracts can be amended. Detroit promised to invest its employees’ money and pay them benefits when they retired.

During bankruptcy, Detroit also eliminated $200 million of required contributions.

The city was forced to cut the police and fire retirement system’s cost-of-living adjustments by 55 percent. Detroit also eliminated general employee cost-of-living adjustments and cut benefits by 4.5 percent.

4. $1.59 billion – That’s how much Detroit’s pension system is still underfunded.

Before bankruptcy, Detroit’s unfunded liability was close to $2.92 billion. After the elimination of $1.33 billion from settlements described above, the city still owes $1.6 billion more to retirees than it has set aside to pay. Detroit’s audit said the city hopes to have the pension system 75 percent funded by 2023.

But the city is on a better path. Detroit employees no longer earn benefits under the terms of its old system. They are now offered benefits through a hybrid pension system, which offers less generous benefits when the system is underfunded.

5. $5.7 billion – That’s the how much Detroit cut employees' other post-employment benefits (OPEB).

OPEBs do not receive the same constitutional protections as pensions, so Detroit more easily cut them.

6. 129 – That’s the number of full-time uniformed police Detroit has lost since the 2013 bankruptcy and pension crisis.

The city had 2,389 full-time uniformed police employees in June 2013 but is down to 2,260 today. The fire department has lost 100 employees and public works has declined by 209 workers; health, transportation and education programs also lost people.

When cities don’t put aside enough money to pay for pensions, the costs skyrocket. In city after city, at the state level, and in the public schools, pension costs are crowding out public services. The state and local governments should be shifting new employees off pensions and onto 401(k) plans to prevent liabilities in the future.