HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
COMMITTEE ON ENERGY
REP. PAULINE WENDZEL
CHAIR
COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
9:30 AM
Room 519, House Office
Building
The House Committee on Energy was called to order by Chair Wendzel.
The Chair requested attendance to be called:
Present: Reps. Wendzel, Prestin, Martin, BeGole, DeBoer, Schmaltz, Thompson, Fairbairn,
Frisbie, Linting, Tate, Brixie, Liberati, Andrews, Herzberg and Myers-Phillips.
Absent: Rep. Coffia.
Excused: Rep. Coffia.
Representative Prestin moved to adopt the meeting minutes from April 14, 2026. There being no
objection, the motion prevailed with unanimous consent.
The Chair laid HB 5710 and HB 5711 before the committee:
HB 5710
(Rep. Wendzel)
A bill to amend 1939 PA 3, entitled "An act to
provide for the regulation and control of public
and certain private utilities and other services
affected with a public interest within this state;
to provide for alternative energy suppliers and
certain providers of electric vehicle charging
services; to provide for licensing; to include
municipally owned utilities and other
providers of energy under certain provisions of
this act; to create a public service commission
and to prescribe and define its powers and
duties; to abolish the Michigan public utilities
commission and to confer the powers and
duties vested by law on the public service
commission; to provide for the powers and
duties of certain state governmental officers
and entities; to provide for the continuance,
transfer, and completion of certain matters and
proceedings; to abolish automatic adjustment
clauses; to prohibit certain rate increases
without notice and hearing; to qualify
residential energy conservation programs
permitted under state law for certain federal
exemption; to create a fund; to encourage the
utilization of resource recovery facilities; to
prohibit certain acts and practices of providers
of energy; to allow for the securitization of
stranded costs; to reduce rates; to provide for
appeals; to provide appropriations; to declare
the effect and purpose of this act; to prescribe
remedies and penalties; and to repeal acts and
parts of acts," by amending sections 6a, 6l, 6m,
and 6t (MCL 460.6a, 460.6l, 460.6m, and
460.6t), sections 6a, 6m, and 6t as amended by
2023 PA 231 and section 6l as amended by
2016 PA 341; and to repeal acts and parts of
acts.
HB 5711
(Rep. Outman)
A bill to amend 2008 PA 295, entitled "Clean
and renewable energy and energy waste
reduction act," by amending the title and
sections 1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 75, 77, 83, 87, 101, 173,
and 191 (MCL 460.1001, 460.1003, 460.1007,
460.1009, 460.1011, 460.1075, 460.1077,
460.1083, 460.1087, 460.1101, 460.1173, and
460.1191), the title and sections 1, 3, 7, 9, 11,
173, and 191 as amended and section 101 as
added by 2023 PA 235, sections 75 and 77 as
amended by 2023 PA 229, and sections 83 and
87 as amended by 2016 PA 342; and to repeal
acts and parts of acts.
Substitute (H-1) to HB 5710 was previously adopted on April 14, 2026.
Substitute (H-2) to HB 5711 was previously adopted on April 14, 2026.
Representative Prestin moved to adopt substitute (H-3) to HB 5711. The motion prevailed 10-2-3:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Wendzel, Prestin, Martin, BeGole, DeBoer, Schmaltz, Thompson, Fairbairn,
Frisbie and Linting.
Nays: Reps. Brixie and Myers-Phillips.
Pass: Reps. Tate, Andrews and Herzberg.
Ed Rivet, representing the Michigan Conservative Energy Forum, testified in opposition to HB
5710 and HB 5711. Questions and discussions followed.
Representative Brixie spoke to proposed substitute (H-2) to HB 5710.
Representative Brixie moved to adopt substitute (H-2) to HB 5710. The motion did not prevail
5-10-1:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Tate, Brixie, Liberati, Andrews and Myers-Phillips.
Nays: Reps. Wendzel, Prestin, Martin, BeGole, DeBoer, Schmaltz, Thompson, Fairbairn,
Frisbie and Linting.
Pass: Rep. Herzberg.
Representative Myers-Phillips offered the following amendment to HB 5710:
1. Amend page 11, following line 24, by inserting:
"(14) The commission shall not authorize a return on equity for an electric utility or
natural gas utility that exceeds 7%." and renumbering the remaining subsections.
Representative Myers-Phillips moved to adopt the amendment to HB 5710. The motion did not
prevail 6-10-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Tate, Brixie, Liberati, Andrews, Herzberg and Myers-Phillips.
Nays: Reps. Wendzel, Prestin, Martin, BeGole, DeBoer, Schmaltz, Thompson, Fairbairn,
Frisbie and Linting.
Pass: None.
Representative Andrews offered the following amendment to HB 5710:
1. Amend page 11, following line 24, by inserting:
"(14) An electric utility shall not recover through rates any cost associated with
keeping the J.H. Campbell generating plant open." and renumbering the remaining
subsections.
Representative Andrews moved to adopt the amendment to HB 5710. The motion did not prevail
6-10-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Tate, Brixie, Liberati, Andrews, Herzberg and Myers-Phillips.
Nays: Reps. Wendzel, Prestin, Martin, BeGole, DeBoer, Schmaltz, Thompson, Fairbairn,
Frisbie and Linting.
Pass: None.
Representative Martin moved to report out HB 5710 with recommendation, as substitute (H-1).
The motion prevailed 10-5-1:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Wendzel, Prestin, Martin, BeGole, DeBoer, Schmaltz, Thompson, Fairbairn,
Frisbie and Linting.
Nays: Reps. Tate, Brixie, Liberati, Andrews and Myers-Phillips.
Pass: Rep. Herzberg.
Representative Brixie spoke to proposed substitute (H-4) to HB 5711.
Representative Brixie moved to adopt substitute (H-4) to HB 5711. The motion did not prevail
5-10-1:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Tate, Brixie, Liberati, Andrews and Myers-Phillips.
Nays: Reps. Wendzel, Prestin, Martin, BeGole, DeBoer, Schmaltz, Thompson, Fairbairn,
Frisbie and Linting.
Pass: Rep. Herzberg.
Representative Brixie offered the following amendment to HB 5711:
1. Amend page 20, line 6, by removing section 173 from the bill.
Representative Brixie moved to adopt the amendment to HB 5711. The motion did not prevail
6-10-0:
UNFAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Tate, Brixie, Liberati, Andrews, Herzberg and Myers-Phillips.
Nays: Reps. Wendzel, Prestin, Martin, BeGole, DeBoer, Schmaltz, Thompson, Fairbairn,
Frisbie and Linting.
Pass: None.
Representative BeGole moved to report out HB 5711 with recommendation, as substitute (H-3).
The motion prevailed 10-5-1:
FAVORABLE ROLL CALL
Yeas: Reps. Wendzel, Prestin, Martin, BeGole, DeBoer, Schmaltz, Thompson, Fairbairn,
Frisbie and Linting.
Nays: Reps. Tate, Brixie, Liberati, Andrews and Myers-Phillips.
Pass: Rep. Herzberg.
The following people submitted a card in opposition to HB 5710 and HB 5711, but did not wish to
speak:
Nick Thomas, representing NextEnergy.
Justin Carpenter, representing the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council.
George Davidson, representing RWE Clean Energy.
Derrell Slaughter, representing the NRDC.
Daniel Pertwee, representing Palmetto.
Mark Lee, representing Better World Builders.
Ben Hiller, representing Daikin.
Cory Connolly, representing Connolly Strategies.
John Jevahirian, representing Michigan Solar Solutions.
Gregory Adanin, representing Ventower Industries.
Mike Bertowitz, representing Elevate.
Allen Bonthuis, representing Harvest Solar.
Annabelle Hart, representing Michigan Climate Jobs.
The following person submitted a card in support of HB 5710 and HB 5711, but did not wish to
speak:
Justin Tomei, representing the Michigan Farm Bureau.
Representative Thompson moved to excuse Representative Coffia from the meeting. There being
no objection, the motion prevailed by unanimous consent.
There being no further business before the committee, Chair Wendzel adjourned the meeting at
9:47 AM.
Representative Pauline Wendzel, Chair
Dakota Soda
Committee Clerk
dsoda@house.mi.gov