‘Clean Energy REVolution’ tour touts impacts of EV investments in Michigan

The Climate Action Campaign's Clean Energy REVolution Tour stopped in Lansing on Thursday Aug. 15, 2024, where local leaders discussed the impacts of federal investments into electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. | Kyle Davidson

Representatives from environmental efforts, local business and government gathered in Lansing Thursday to outline the environmental and economic impacts federal electric vehicle (EV) investments have had on the state.

Mary Frances Repko, deputy national climate adviser and deputy assistant to President Joe Biden; EDF Action President David Kieve; Lansing City Councilmember-At-Large Peter Spadafore; and Lansing business representatives met outside Lansing City Hall and discussed efforts to build Michigan’s electric vehicle economy and infrastructure using funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Kieve touted the benefits of EVs on climate, health and the economy, but honed in on benefits for consumers.

“What I tell consumers all day, every day, is, if you have questions about driving an electric car, ask somebody who owns one. Ask them if they miss being at the gas station. Ask them if they’ve missed all of the time that they spend on oil changes and repair costs and things of that nature,” Kieve said. “Or if you don’t know anybody who drives an electric car, truck or SUV, go out and take one for a test drive yourself.”

Road trips have long been a rite of passage for Michiganders, Spadafore said, and while EV drivers were previously unable to make those journeys confidently — and concerns remain about a slower-than-hoped-for rollout — the expansion of Michigan’s charging infrastructure has made that a possibility.

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The state is receiving approximately $110 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law over five years to expand charging infrastructure, Spadafore said, noting the funds will be used to build out chargers in suburban and rural parts of the state as well as Michigan’s cities.

These federal investments are also crucial for Lansing and its mid-Michigan neighbors, Spadafore said, as they are not only transforming the state’s urban centers and manufacturing hubs, but making EV ownership and sustainable energy more accessible to urban, suburban and rural communities.

Repko noted that communities up and down the state had unlocked billions of dollars, with Michigan securing $28 billion in private investments in electric vehicles and clean energy, heavy industry and biomanufacturing.

“Those communities are benefiting from a number of different investments, investments in cleaner air and water, investments in energy efficient buildings and homes and access to electric vehicles, affordable energy and most importantly, to good jobs,” Repko said.

“The reason why this is important for the Biden-Harris administration is to acknowledge that states like Michigan and states across the country have been on the receiving end of climate-fueled extreme weather,” Repko said.  “And for those in Lansing, I don’t really need to tell them something uniquely about this. You experienced this just a few weeks ago as I got calls from my father and my brother who had water in their basements from a very intense microburst storm.”

While people often think about climate change as doom and gloom, Michigan is turning federal climate investments into hope and opportunity, Repko said.

“Michigan is using these funds to build a more resilient and climate friendly future. But in 2023 Michigan led clean energy job creation in the nation, fueled by a number of congressional districts, including this one [Michigan’s 7th Congressional District],” Repko said.

In addition to $23 million in federal dollars for the state to enhance Michigan’s EV charging options, GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly has also received $500 million from the U.S. Department of Energy to convert the plant for EV production, Repko noted.

Lansing Regional Chamber President and CEO Tim Daman also spoke in support of the investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act.

“We’ve seen significant investment in not only our roads and bridges, but water supply, energy and the grid, as well as the broadband infrastructure,” Daman said.

“Couple that with the Inflation Reduction Act and we’re seeing historic investments expanding, not only the clean energy jobs, but supporting countless local businesses and ensuring that our workforce is part of that next generation of innovation,” Daman said.

Bob Trezise, president and CEO of the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) recounted the partnership’s efforts across Eaton, Clinton and Ingham counties to win jobs, noting it is administering $66 million for the new Ultium electric car battery plant, the result of a $2.6 billion investment from GM and LG Energy .  The partnership has also secured an EV supplier in the region, Trezise said.

“We want to win those good, sustainable jobs and a better life and a more secure future for our region, states and nation’s economy. And we know that the hard work with the emerging global EV industry is a ticket to accomplishing those goals,” Trezise said.

While the EV market has softened recently, LEAP is not going to take its eye off the ball, Trezise said.

“The future will be 100% electric vehicles, and we will make sure at that critical strategic time that the Lansing region is positioned to assume that global leadership role in that industry, with the jobs, the investment, the infrastructure, the tax base, the economic competitive advantage that comes with all that in what is a very savagely competitive country and world.” he said.

“China, you know, is very advanced. I mean, that’s a reality. They have five or six very advanced electric car companies, and we just need to make sure at that strategic point in the future that we all have choices: companies and cars that are made right here in this country, in this state, in this region,” Trezise said.

Leaders also have a duty to ensure a safer world for their children and grandchildren, Trezise said, noting that the federal investments support both the environment and the economy.

“I am very enthused to keep on with this funding. If this funding were to go away, I kind of think it would be a disaster for all of us. For the environment and the economy but from my perspective, most importantly, from a competitive standpoint, frankly against those other foreign competitors,” Trezise said.

“It’s about jobs and investment, so we need to keep up our momentum that we’ve gained to get back in that competitive market,” he said.

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