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.

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."

Spring temperatures aren't all that's heating up in Lansing. With Michigan's 2008 clean energy laws set to plateau at the end of the year, policymakers are debating a handful of competing proposals for what our state's energy future should look like. (We say "plateau" and not "expire" because, if lawmakers took no action, utilities would have an ongoing requirement to meet the existing standards.)

As if making delicious beer wasn't enough to win us over, America's craft brewers have also been strong leaders in showing that businesses can thrive while giving back to their communities and finding innovative ways to protect the environment.

Many of us working on energy and climate policy looked forward to June 2 like it was Christmas morning. That was the date set for the EPA to announce a new draft rule to cut carbon pollution from power plants, building on the Clean Power Plan President Obama drafted last summer.

Since we love energy efficiency and clean renewable power here at MEC, it is quite appropriate that today - Valentine's Day - is the first of seven public forums on Michigan's energy policy called for by Governor Rick Snyder.

We're a nation of champion procrastinators. That's my conclusion after reading National Geographic's special report, Energy: Facing up to the problem, getting down to solutions.