Great Lakes Law

Some good energy policy news from 2010 – Michigan enacts PACE legislation

One of the energy policy successes in Michigan in 2010 was the passage of the Property Assessed Clean Energy Act (Public Act No. 270, 2010). Eric Jamison worked with the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center as a Clean Energy Fellow to develop and enact PACE legislation in Michigan, and offers this guest post on the recent success. On December 15, 2010, former Governor Granholm signed the Property Assessed Clean Energy Act (Public Act No. 270,... Read more →

Oil and Freshwater Don’t Mix: Transnational Regulation of Drilling in the Great Lakes

I've posted a new article on oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes, examining the existing laws and policies and offering some pragmatic recommendations for reform. The article was presented at the symposium “Learning from Disaster: Lessons for the Future from the Gulf of Mexico” hosted by the Environmental Affairs Law Review of Boston College Law School last November. The article is titled "Oil and Freshwater Don’t Mix: Transnational Regulation of Drilling in the... Read more →

Patty Birkholz appointed director of Michigan’s Office of the Great Lakes

Governor Rick Snyder has just announced that former legislator Patty Birkholz will be appointed director of Michigan’s Office of the Great Lakes. The Office of the Great Lakes was created by the Michigan Legislature in 1985 to provide central leadership on Great Lakes policy issues. Birkholz will succeed Ken DeBeaussaert, who held the position for 8 years in Governor Granholm’s administration. This is fantastic news for Michigan and the Great Lakes. When asked for input... Read more →