I start most mornings at MEC by browsing the day's environmental headlines, mainly from email newsletters that I highly recommend-Midwest Energy News, InsideClimate News, Environmental Health News, The Daily Climate and Food and Environment Reporting Network, among others-so I'm used to seeing plenty of promising news about the rise of renewable energy.

After more than two years of negotiations, countless hours of committee hearings, numerous variations on several bills, untold column inches of news coverage and a dizzying series of false starts, dead ends and shifts of the political winds, the epic effort to overhaul Michigan's energy policy finally drew to a close Thursday evening.

The Michigan Senate is likely to vote this week on a pair of bills to reform our state's energy policy. Throughout the debates leading up to this point, MEC has maintained that any credible strategy for Michigan's energy future must accomplish five goals: control costs for utility customers; minimize the risks of future price spikes; protect natural resources and public health; promote economic development; and improve reliability.

The Senate Energy and Technology Committee continues to deliberate on a package of bills that lay out a misguided approach to Michigan's energy future-one that would suspend Michigan's transition to cleaner energy sources, lead to major rate increases for Michigan families and throw a wrench in economic development in our state.

Editor's note: Kate Madigan is MEC's northern Michigan representative and climate and energy specialist.

You may have noticed a lot of news stories lately about coal-fired power plants. That's because-with federal regulations kicking in to protect public health-today marks the end of the operating permits for a number of coal plants in Michigan, including Consumers Energy's oldest generating units, sometimes charitably described as the "Classic Seven."

Michigan's solar industry employed 2,779 people in 2015, a 32 percent increase from 2014, according to industry data released Wednesday.

News of the solar power industry's growth has been so fast and furious lately that it's hard to stay on top of it all.

Two landmark marches for climate justice are coming up in Michigan.

MEC rallied at the Capitol this week with dozens of concerned parents to educate legislators about the negative health impacts coal plants have on children.