Michigan’s largest transmission company wants to build more than 350 miles of new high-voltage power lines across the Lower Peninsula in the coming years, starting with a 50-mile segment near Lansing. Company officials tout more reliable and cheaper energy, but neighbors are wary.
Michigan Environment Watch
Michigan Environment Watch examines how public policy, industry, and other factors interact with the state’s trove of natural resources.
Great Lakes News Collaborative
Bridge Michigan, Circle of Blue, Great Lakes Now at Detroit Public Television, The Narwhal and Michigan Public work together to report on the most pressing threats to the Great Lakes region’s water. This independent journalism is supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. You can find all of the collaborative’s stories here.
Shockwave
The Great Lakes region is in the midst of a seismic energy shakeup, from skyrocketing data center demand and a nuclear energy boom, to expanding renewables and electrification. In 2026, the Great Lakes News Collaborative will explore how shifting supply and demand affect the region and its waters. Read the series here.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan AG Nessel sues big oil over ‘cartel’-like plot to kill clean energy
In a lawsuit expected to be filed today, Nessel alleges some of the world’s largest oil companies colluded to suppress the development of EVs and clean energy to keep Americans reliant on fossil fuels.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Whitmer wants Michigan to be a hub for ‘geologic hydrogen.’ What’s that?
Extracting the gas from underground could produce “a massive economic boom” for Michigan, Whitmer said as she announced an executive directive on hydrogen exploration. While Michigan is seen as a prime place to look for the gas, the industry faces headwinds.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
PFAS levels are declining in Great Lakes fish, new research shows
The study, spearheaded by a federal research office that the Trump administration has since dismantled, shows fish responded quickly after manufacturers stopped using some PFAS compounds.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Invasive sea lamprey declining as control efforts in the Great Lakes resume
Sea lamprey are an invasive species that feed on the blood and bodily fluids of fish. Their numbers in the Great Lakes rose during the COVID-19 pandemic but have dropped to pre-pandemic levels, according to a report.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Is Michigan’s aging water infrastructure ready for data center boom?
Much of the country’s water infrastructure was built 40 to 50 years ago and is showing its age. Michigan is no exception.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan allocates $77 million to clean thousands of contaminated sites
The state is pouring $77 million into clean-up of contaminated abandoned real estate such as former factories. The director of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy says the goal is to make the cleaned-up sites safe for housing, commercial developments and other uses.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Michigan lost billions in climate-related investments in Trump’s first year
As the Trump administration deemphasizes green energy and embraces fossil fuels, Michigan has seen more than $500 million in canceled federal climate grants while investment in EV battery plants and other green manufacturing has tanked.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
5 Michigan environment stories to watch in 2026
From data centers to nuclear plants, Michigan will see some big energy-related decisions next year that could shape the state’s environment for decades to come.
Posted inMichigan Environment Watch
Regulators approve DTE contracts for Michigan’s first hyperscale data center
Regulators tacked on a host of conditions that, they say, protect DTE ratepayers from subsidizing the hefty cost of delivering energy to the facility. Data center opponents expressed outrage, while business leaders cheered the decision.