for Friday, June 10, 2022

…audio…

1 – The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that a variety of U.S. energy prices will remain historically high through 2023, including oil, natural gas, coal and electricity. 

That’s according to June 2022 Short-Term Energy Outlook. 

An administrator says “we continue to see historically high energy prices as a result of the economic recovery and the repercussions of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.” Although officials “expect the current upward pressure on energy prices to lessen,” they say “high energy prices will likely remain prevalent in the United States this year and next.”

The Energy Information Administration forecasts that high natural gas and coal prices will result in an increased share of renewables in U.S. generation, largely offset by a decline in coal’s share. 

Wind and solar generation will likely contribute more than 11% of U.S. electricity this summer, after providing less than 10% last summer. 

…

2 – You’re invited to an Open House at Frankenlust Township Nature Park. 

It’s on Thursday, June 16, from 4-5 p.m at the corner of Three Mile and Hotchkiss roads. 

Organizers say informal tours of recent park enhancements will take place, followed by a lemonade toast by township officials. So you can stop by anytime. 

The celebration is to mark improvements made to the park over the past 18 months. 

Those include enhanced trails, a new shade pavilion and central gathering site, a hammock hotel, benches and fishing docks. Significant efforts also have been made to control invasive species. 

Officials say the upgrades will have a major impact on who is able to use the park and the kinds of activities they can enjoy. They say the nature park is a rare gem in the region. 

The work has been supported financially by the Bay Area Community Foundation, Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Other partners include the Chippewa Nature Center and Saginaw Valley State University’s Department of Geography. 

In the event of poor weather, the gathering will be rescheduled for June 27. 

…

3 – This week was Great Lakes and Fresh Water Week in Michigan. 

The state is home to more than 3,200 miles of coastline along four Great Lakes, 11,000 inland lakes and ponds, 36,000 miles of rivers and streams, and enough groundwater to refill Lake Michigan.

More than 30 million people in the U.S. and Canada rely on the Great Lakes for drinking water.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer encourages people to be “water champions” by “understanding our responsibility to work together to find solutions and overcome challenges such as aging infrastructure, invasive species, extreme weather and climate change.”

She pointed to a  2020 MI Clean Water Plan that includes $500 million worth of resources to help local municipalities upgrade drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. 

This week also marked the 75th anniversary of the Michigan State Waterways Commission, which works to make the state’s Great Lakes, rivers and inland lakes more accessible to boaters. 

– Mr. Great Lakes is heard Friday mornings in Bay City, Michigan, on Delta College Public Radio 90.1 FM (listen live). Follow @jeffkart on Twitter #MrGreatLakes

-30-