Democratic trifectas in 6 Great Lakes states are poised to shake up energy policy

Democrats gained a whole lot of ground in the Great Lakes region last week. Just two states in the region currently have Democratic governors and Democratic majorities in both chambers of the legislature: Illinois and New York. But on Election Day, Democrats won new trifectas in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. They also broke a Republican trifecta in Ohio, leaving Indiana as the only Great Lakes state with full Republican control. Democrats’ sweep could lead to significant shifts in states’ climate and clean energy policies as lawmakers seek to boost renewables and electrification and bring down energy costs.

Across the country and the region, voters resoundingly rejected data centers. Ohio, which is in the midst of a data center boom, saw 21 ballot initiatives to curb or ban data center developments. All 21 passed. Most weren’t close. The backlash to data centers may have helped carry former U.S. Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown to victory over incumbent Republican Sen. John Husted in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race. Brown cast Husted as “the face of data centers” during the campaign.

Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved a “money out of politics” ballot measure, which restricts political contributions by regulated utilities and companies with more than $250,000 in state government contracts. The measure passed with over 80% of the vote. Two days later, DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, the state’s largest utilities, sued to block the new law. Their complaint argues that the law will violate their constitutional rights, including free speech.

Ann Arbor voters narrowly rejected a separate ballot measure that would have authorized the creation of a city-run electric utility that could eventually let the city break away from DTE Energy. The 52%-to-48% loss came about a month after the Ann Arbor City Council voted 10 to 1 to oppose the measure amid concerns about its cost and legality.

And in non-election news, a recent study counted more than 6,400 oil spills in the Great Lakes ecosystems between 2015 and 2024. About 3,600 spills happened in U.S. waters, while about 2,800 happened in Canada. The study, led by researchers at Lake Superior State University, found that spill volumes often are not reported for smaller incidents. Even though individual small spills often aren’t considered significant, the study said, their cumulative effects could be, and the Great Lakes stand to benefit from better spill reporting.

More energy news, in case you missed it:

• Michigan regulators agreed to give Consumers Energy more time to negotiate with opponents of its plan to sell 13 aging hydroelectric dams, though it’s unclear whether a settlement is possible.
• A proposed $1 billion gas-fired power plant in northern Wisconsin has been canceled after years of local opposition, legal challenges and permitting delays.
• Michigan might take possession of 260 acres of land instead of seeing a $23.7 million grant returned in a settlement with Gotion over the company’s failed electric vehicle battery plant near Big Rapids.
• The company working to restart the Palisades nuclear plant in southwestern Michigan is no longer providing a timeline for the plant to come back online following a delay caused by a tipped fuel assembly.
• General Motors plans to offer hybrid versions of the popular Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia SUVs, which it will build at a factory in Lansing, Michigan.