How Gretchen Whitmer is quietly solving a big problem for Democrats

[Nevilledog]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/11/17/gretchen-whitmer-michigan-green-energy/

No paywall
https://archive.li/N9Fkp

Few Democrats would deny that the party must win back working people. Yet one of the party’s long-term conundrums is whether they can pursue ambitious efforts to combat climate change without threatening those very workers’ wages or jobs.

In coming days, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is set to sign a package of bills that would transition the state to 100 percent clean electricity by 2040. The bills — which also include robust provisions for workers — are among the most ambitious efforts undertaken by any state to move toward a carbon-free future in a manner that is actively good for working people. Significantly, Democrats are testing this approach in a swing state in the heart of the industrial Midwest.

Passed through Michigan’s Democratic-controlled state legislature last month, the package would mandate the generation of electricity with 80 percent carbon-free sources by 2035 and 100 percent by 2040 — sources that can include wind, solar, nuclear and natural gas combined with carbon capture. While many states have such mandates, only a few require such a rapid transition; the New York Times reports that Michigan’s pace will rival that of California.

Crucially, the bills also require clean electricity jobs to match local prevailing wages and working conditions. The package creates a state office to help workers displaced by the energy transition move into new clean energy jobs.

*snip*

[calguy]

1. I have a feeling she just might our first female President

[CTyankee]

3. Hmm, wouldn't you just love to see Drumpf in a debate with her?

[Fiendish Thingy]

5. Yup- Whitmer 2028! Nt

[westen]

28. I kinda torn on her running for 2028 for selfish reasons. I would hate to lose her as my Governor.

[Fiendish Thingy]

29. Isn't she on her second term? Nt

[Kaleva]

31. She's term limited and is serving her last term

[llmart]

18. I've predicted that for a while now.

I'd love to see two Dem women in the White House for a change. Gretchen is amazing and she really does get things done, as long as we now have a Dem majority in the State legislature.

[calguy]

27. I'm becoming a big Gavin Newsome fan

But I'm also very impressed Gretchen. Too far out to know where we'll be in 2027, but it's good to know we gave a deep bench of well-qualified candidates to follow Joe's eight years.

[MiHale]

2. My Governor is a Genius...

This is only to offset the “My Governor is an Idiot” signs still visible…disappearing but still around.

Big Gretch is awesome.

[WestMichRad]

6. Right on!!

I love Governor Gretchen Whitmer. She gets things done!

[MiHale]

8. 👍

[redqueen]

4. Love it

She is so impressive.

[rogerballard]

7. Love my Gov

Gretch kicks ass

[NoMoreRepugs]

9. Big oil and gas are going to throw tens if not hundreds of millions into a blitzkrieg of ads

and stories about how dangerous this is for America and its workers.

[calimary]

11. Well, we ALL just have to push back. HARD.

AGGRESSIVELY. And CONSTANTLY. And UNRELENTINGLY.

[appalachiablue]

10. K/R

[marble falls]

12. I hope she gets to be Senator Whitmer in the future.

[SpankMe]

13. This is totally doable by 2040

Since Michigan and auto manufacturing are a package deal, she can also use her state's powers to incentivize the big 3 (or whatever it is now) to transition to all electric vehicle lines. The transition from manufacturing EV's to ICE vehicles will assure a certain well paid job base indefinitely even though technology and efficiencies will result in fewer jobs once ICE production reaches a steady state.

She can facilitate charging stations statewide and make Michigan a showcase for EV's and lower carbon energy generation.

[ShazzieB]

25. Question.

"The transition from manufacturing EV's to ICE vehicles..."

Did you mean to say "the transition from manufacturing ICE vehicles to EV's"? Just checking.

[SpankMe]

34. Yep. I brain-farted that. You are correct

Also, I am alarmed to see that my post has been altered. Between that first paragraph and the second paragraph (the single sentence starting "She can facilitate...&quot there was a whole lot more. I know it was there because I used the preview function before I I hit "Post". This is very worrisome.

[Stargazer99]

14. To think some stupid males tried to kidnap her and kill her

One of my sayings is if you want something done right give it to a woman or can the male ego handle that

[cab67]

17. Reminds me of a point George Carlin once made.

That if there's a God, he has to be a man. No woman would ever fuck things up they way they are.

[Farmer-Rick]

15. She's going to piss off the American oligarchs

Not only is she promoting clean energy, she's promoting doing it with fair wages.

I hope she puts effort into that office to help workers displaced by the energy transition.

When the federal government did a similar office for all the jobs lost thru NAFTA, and all those other horrible free trade agreements, it was totally useless and probably led to the 2008 crash.

I tried to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance when I lost my job, (remember the 99ers? I was one of them.) And the rudest most useless people were there to keep you away from applying for help. The money for that help was never used completely.

[Farther]

16. The best

governor of my 70 year life in Michigan. Smart, visionary, honorable, and tough enough to stand down the knuckle draggers. Lucky Michigan!

[NNadir]

19. Governor Whitman has embraced the only climate strategy that will work.

Michigan governor calls for nuclear plant to reopen

As a member of our party, she has probably also embraced the popular but unworkable fossil fuel dependent junk misnamed as "renewable energy," specifically solar and wind, but given the hostility to reality expressed by antinukes, including the "I'm not an antinuke" antinukes we see here and elsewhere, this is brave and sensible, but also courageous, embracing nuclear energy. Her neighbor in Illinois should be so sensible.

If in time, she runs for President, and I am still alive to vote for her, she has my vote, if only for having a sense of reality, an open mind to face practical realities.

[druidity33]

23. How easy would it be...

to recommission that plant? It sounds like the fuel rods have already been placed in a dry storage facility.

[NNadir]

26. All fuel rods eventually end up in dry storage, both in operating and decommissioned plants

To me this means that they are available for future generations to use. Were it not for fear and ignorance, we would recognize these fuel rods for the valuable materials they are. Instead, they are called "nuclear waste," which has become a scare term evoking all kinds of absurd paranoia, whipped up by our "but her emails" media.

This fear and ignorance has an upside, however, in that the used fuel has not been treated for permanent disposal and thus the materials therein are available for recovery. Putting them in dumps would have created very long term difficulties in putting these materials to use.

Used nuclear fuel has, unlike fossil fuel waste, aka "air pollution" and "climate change," a spectacular record of not harming anyone and yet they are routinely described as "dangerous." One would think that dangerous materials would have some record of actually harming someone.

When I ask people complaining about the "danger" of so called "nuclear waste" to show that in the nearly 70 year history of commercial nuclear energy, used nuclear fuel has killed as many people as will die in the next six hours from air pollution, about 4500 people, I rarely get a serious answer; in fact, I never get a serious answer.

The question is not the status of the used fuel. The question is about the reactor itself. From what I've heard it's basically intact, and could be refueled with some basic maintenance, thus saving lives.

I applaud Governor Whitman's efforts to restart the plant. For sure, the world needs decisions like these.

[et tu]

20. Copy that

the us needs many more affordable and user friendly charging stations all over [city, burbs, and rural] so that the fear of 'can we make it to where we are going' becomes outdated and unnecessary~

'

[ancianita]

21. Go, Big Gretch!

[catbyte]

22. Voting for her was one of the best votes I've ever cast.

I'll hate to see her termed out in 2027, but we've got a very deep bench here in the Great Lakes State.

[OldBaldy1701E]

24. Yes, but hasn't that been one of the main problems?

The package creates a state office to help workers displaced by the energy transition move into new clean energy jobs.

But, they don't want to transition into other jobs, they want the jobs they spent decades learning and working in. Are we really expecting someone who (hypothetically) put in 28 years in an industry, learning and climbing the ladder to just let it all go and be placed back into the general pool with everyone else? Are we going to promise comparable wages and positions for those who lost such? Do we really think they are going to just agree with this? Or, am I missing something here?

[Kaleva]

30. China produces as much greenhouse gases as the rest of the industrialized nations combined

As has been reported here before, some scientists believe we are close to or already past the point of no return

[roamer65]

32. I luv my Guv.

[DownriverDem]

33. Love my Governor

and we do want her to finish her term.