Posts tagged solar
Michigan bill would force prevailing wage on private businesses
October 25, 2022 // News Story Michigan bill would force prevailing wage on private businesses Not even Michigan’s old prevailing wage law, which was repealed in 2018, applied to private business By Jamie A. Hope | October 24, 2022Share on FacebookShare on Twitter State Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids, has pushed for private businesses on to pay the prevailing wage on renewable energy projects. Should State Rep. Rachel Hood, D-Grand Rapids, find herself in a position of power in January, she will likely require private businesses to abide by a prevailing wage policy when awarding a contractor bid for renewable energy projects. House Bill 6099, introduced by Hood on May 11, would require union wages for private renewable energy projects. Not even the prevailing wage law, which was repealed in 2018, required that. Prevailing wage typically refers to the pay and benefits contractors and vendors are required to offer their employees when doing business with a government agency. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reinstated prevailing wage for those doing business with the state by way of an Oct. 2021 press release. Steve Delie, director of labor policy at Mackinac Center, says Hood’s bill could raise energy costs. “The problem with this bill is the same problem that prevailing wage policies have generally—this will lead to increased costs and decreased competition,” Delie told CapCon. “As we unwisely transition away from reliable energy, this bill would further increase the costs of wind and solar projects, without any accompanying benefit.” Rep. Rachel Hood,