Abby Rubley, spokeswoman for Environment Michigan, said the state spends $20 billion each year to bring in energy from other states. Establishing a renewable energy industry would allow some of that energy to be created in the state, which would create jobs and help the environment.

“As a state, that’s a huge economic drain,” Rubley said. “We need to replace some of those old, dirty coal-fired power plants and replace them with new, clean energy.”

According to the Michigan Public Service Commission, renewable energy costs up to 9 cents per kilowatt hour. Electricity generated from coal-fired power plants costs up to 10 cents per kilowatt hour. The average family uses about 500-600 kilowatt hours each month to power their home.

Diane Katz, director of science, environment and technology for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, a conservative think tank, said requiring a certain amount of an energy company’s power to come from renewable sources could result in higher prices for consumers.

Prices would rise because the move would create increased demand for a limited resource, Katz said.

“It’s like extending an open invitation to higher energy costs,” she said. “The notion that every watt of energy produced threatens to unravel the planet just isn’t convincing to people.”

Mark Nixon, spokesman for the Lansing Board of Water & Light, agreed, saying enough energy is not available.

“If people wanted to switch to green energy tomorrow, it wouldn’t be there for everyone,” he said. “There isn’t enough there. The problem is balancing environmental needs with the economic needs of our customers.”

Sixty percent of the state’s energy comes from coal-fired power plants, with the rest coming from a mix of natural gas, nuclear, wind and hydroelectric, Nixon said.

A little more than 1 percent of the Lansing Board of Water & Light’s 97,000 customers use energy from its renewable energy plan, called GreenWise. With the plan, consumers purchase 250 kilowatt-hours for an additional $7.50 each month. The renewable energy the customer purchases is fed into the companies server, not directly into the customers home.

Sen. Patricia Birkholz, R-Saugatuck, said she is in the process of drafting legislation that would propose more modest renewable energy goals.

With her proposal, 5 percent of the state’s energy would come from renewable sources by 2010, a number which would jump to 12 percent by 2015 and 25 percent by 2025.

“We’re trying to keep it doable, but we’re also trying to stretch people,” she said.

Rep. Frank Accavitti, D-Eastpointe, who chairs the House Energy and Technology Committee, said his committee has been holding meetings on renewable energy standards.

Striking the right balance has been an obstacle that has proved tough to overcome, Accavitti said.

“The last thing we want to do is make it more expensive to do business in Michigan,” he said.

Accavitt introduced a proposal requiring renewable energy standards in March, but he said the state’s ongoing budget crises made progress difficult.

“Its been hard to get into these other area until everyone feels comfortable where the state is budget-wise,” he said.