Dirty Money is Stopping Clean Energy: Here’s What We Can Do

The campaign, known as Michiganders for Money Out of Politics (MOP UP Michigan), is a grassroots, people-powered effort led by everyday Michiganders and a growing coalition of organizations. That coalition already includes respected voices in the environmental community, such as Clean Water Action, the Groundwork Center, and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. MiCAN is excited to add our name to that list because we believe this movement and moment are essential to securing a livable climate future.

For decades, small climate organizations have been forced to go head-to-head with billion-dollar corporations, many of them energy monopolies like DTE Energy and Consumers Energy. These companies are regulated by the state, yet they are also allowed to donate to the political campaigns of the very lawmakers and officials responsible for overseeing them. That conflict of interest has repeatedly slowed climate progress, from delaying community solar to allowing regulators to go easy on utilities that continue to rely on fossil fuels.

Put simply, we should not allow corporations to pay to regulate themselves. Democracy in Michigan should center on the voices of residents—not the deepest pockets.

Because of money in politics, we live in a counter-majoritarian system. This means that even though the majority of Michiganders want change, our policies don’t reflect it. Polling consistently shows strong public support for affordable, reliable energy, clean energy jobs, cleaner air, and strong protections for the Great Lakes. In fact, 79% of Michiganders support policies that grow clean energy and manufacturing.

And yet, utilities like DTE are fast-tracking massive data centers that threaten to drive up energy bills. Michigan residents already pay more for electricity that ranks among the worst in reliability in the country, while the state continues to lag behind on clean energy deployment. Despite clear public demand, we’re getting the opposite of what most people want.

In just the first six months of 2025, DTE and Consumers Energy distributed roughly $250,000 in political contributions to more than half of Michigan’s 148 lawmakers—the very officials charged with passing laws to regulate them. When millions of dollars are on the line, there is little incentive for legislators to challenge powerful utilities or vote for cleaner air and a safer climate.

That’s not to dismiss real progress. Thanks to years of grassroots organizing, Michigan has made meaningful strides. Just a decade ago, nearly half of our electricity came from coal. Today, one of the state’s last coal plants has a retirement date, and the MI Healthy Climate Plan commits Michigan to net-zero emissions, providing a roadmap away from climate catastrophe.

But when it comes to climate action, where the stakes are enormous and time is short, progress must be faster and more equitable. The benefits of the clean energy transition should flow to everyday people, not corporate shareholders. That’s why getting money out of politics is so critical.

MOP UP Michigan would prohibit political contributions from large corporations holding state contracts worth more than $250,000 and ban regulated utilities from contributing to state officeholders and political party committees, eliminating a major conflict of interest. Under this proposal, utilities and fossil fuel companies with significant state business would no longer be able to donate to political candidates. This reform would help stem the flow of dark money and restore fairness to policymaking in Michigan.

The path forward won’t be easy. To qualify for the November 2026 ballot, the campaign must submit 356,958 valid signatures within 180 days. That will take real, on-the-ground organizing and conversations with people in communities across the state. And we can be sure that those affected, like the big utilities, will spend to defeat it once it’s on the ballot.

But at a moment when both our democracy and our climate are under threat, it’s worth remembering how closely the two are connected. Fighting for one brings us closer to protecting the other.

We are the majority, and we’ve already proven that change is possible. But to move faster and farther, we must fix a system distorted by corporate influence. MOP UP Michigan is a vital step forward, and we invite you to join us.

To learn more about the proposal or get involved, visit: https://mopupmichigan.org/