BY AMANDA HARRISON
Governor Rick Snyder's office is hosting a series of public forums to lay the groundwork for transitioning the state toward a more green energy future.
Delta College was the site of the latest discussion, attracting a number of public officials, business leaders and representatives from environmental groups.
Tiffany Hartung is the Chapter Conservation Program Manager with the Sierra club.
She said a recent report shows that using energy efficiently is most cost effective.
"For every dollar spent on energy optimization ratepayers see a return of over 3 dollars and 55 cents in avoided energy costs. One of those avoided costs comes from avoiding the need for a big new energy generation to be built." Hartung said.
Hartung said the state should maximize efficiency of current utilities as part of the energy planning process.
The governor's office has set a goal of the end of this year to arrive at a comprehensive alternative energy policy.