Gov. Gretchen Whitmer | Photo Courtesy of Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer | Photo Courtesy of Michigan
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a statewide energy emergency for Michigan on Feb. 20 in response to the snowstorms that have covered a large swath of the nation.
Along with the snow, extreme cold temperatures have caused energy consumption to skyrocket across the U.S. While Texas witnessed the most extreme examples of these conditions, Michiganders have a greatly increased demand for propane. Whitmer’s executive order for the emergency allows commercial drivers to temporarily disregard the restrictions for driver hours to ensure that energy can be delivered to homes and businesses, according to Michigan Capitol Confidential.
According to a press release published on Michigan.gov, Whitmer said, “While I am confident that our state has the energy supply we need to get through these cold winter days, we aren’t taking any chances after what happened in Texas this week. With today’s order, Michigan will allow expanded flexibility for drivers to ensure the supply of home heating fuel can be delivered across the state without delay or interruption.”
Executive Order 2021-3 took effect on Feb. 20.
After the 2019 polar vortex, Whitmer instructed the Michigan Public Service Commission to conduct an energy assessment for the state. As part of the assessment, the commission established a variety of measures to ensure that energy distribution for homes and businesses could weather aging infrastructures and withstand extreme weather conditions, much like the ones seen in this past weeks.
Some of Whitmer’s critics have questioned the legality of the governor’s declaration, claiming that it does not meet the legal requirements to justify an energy emergency. The state law from 1982 defines an "energy emergency" as conditions that pose a threat to the safety or welfare of state residents due to any current or potential energy shortages. While this is not the first time that Whitmer’s executive actions have been met with resistance, it appears that she will be successful in carrying out this emergency declaration.
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