Updated Electric Industry Deregulation: Ohio Case Study
In the late 1990s, several states, including Michigan, began deregulating their electric utility markets in the hopes that competition in the gen-eration and sale of electricity would drive down consumer prices. The enthusiasm for deregulation had waned in Michigan, but discussions around electric market choice are regaining momentum. Legislation currently under discussion in the Michigan […]
Building a Better Child Care System
Every day parents across Michigan make difficult decisions about who will care for their children when they go to school and to work. Some choose center-based programs. Others select providers who care for children in the provider’s home. Yet others choose to have family, friends, or neighbors care for their children. Regardless of the provider […]
Impact of Increasing Education and Employment Rates in West Michigan
Today, unemployment in West Michigan is below 4 percent, suggesting a very strong underlying economy, and the region ranks high in several national studies of growth and quality of life. However, West Michigan still faces significant challenges. A skills mismatch has left many employers struggling to fill positions, even while working-age adults cannot find work or fail to […]
Michigan’s Oil and Natural Gas Industry: Economic Contribution
[vc_row cMichigan’s oil and natural gas industry plays an important role in Michigan’s economy creating tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of income for Michigan residents. In 2014, 62 of Michigan’s 83 counties produced oil and/or natural gas, and historically, 65 of Michigan’s counties have had production. Of Michigan’s 83 counties, 82 […]
Evaluation of the Michigan Energy Assistance Program: Successes and Options for Improvement
Michigan’s energy assistance programs support hundreds of thousands of low-income households each year. For many, these programs are the difference between heating their homes on the coldest of winter nights and having their services disconnected. Recognizing the need for a sustainable energy assistance model, in 2013, the state’s legislature created the Michigan Energy Assistance Program […]
Engaging Detroit: URC’s Contributions to Resurgence in the Motor City
Detroit is Michigan’s iconic city, with a diverse population and a rich cultural history. Its innovation helped create the auto industry and America’s middle class. Michigan’s University Research Corridor (URC) is an alliance of Michigan State University (MSU), the University of Michigan (U-M), and Wayne State University (WSU). The URC ranks as one of the […]
Michigan’s Water Infrastructure Investment Needs
PSC evaluated the adequacy of water infrastructure investment in the state, determining the funding necessary to upgrade statewide systems and facilities to meet current standards while also evaluating whether the current investments made by communities are adequate to address challenges.
Creating 21st Century Communities: Making the economic case for place
The Michigan Municipal League (MML), through its public policy forums, research, and education, identified eight assets that Michigan’s communities need to grow and strengthen in order for our state to prosper in coming years. In 2015, MML hired Public Sector Consultants (PSC) to evaluate the relationship between these eight assets and economic growth indicators like […]
Michigan’s Part 201 Environmental Remediation Program Review
Prepared for Michigan Department of Enivironmental Quality
Saving Our Cities: Can the New Federal Initiatives Succeed?
by Jack Bails, Vice President and Senior Consultant for Natural Resources This report discusses federal initiatives to address the problems of the nation’s inner cities in the context of Michigan’s efforts to develop a statewide strategy of sustainable land use. Introduction The plight of impoverished urban areas is once again getting much national attention. Past […]