Creating Jobs in Michigan’s Renewable Energy Economy.pdfVIP

Creating Jobs in Michigan’s Renewable Energy Economy Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has established Michigan’s goal of being the renewable energy hub of North America. And we are moving quickly to capture the job-creating potential this industry offers. We are capitalizing on our unique natural resources and world-class workforce to build a new energy economy. This new economic sector represents our single best hope for attracting new investment and creating new jobs. Michigan proudly remains the center of the nation’s auto industry – our homegrown economic engine that powered Michigan’s economy for decades. But the fact that one or more of our Detroit-based auto companies faces the very real threat of bankruptcy confirms that there is no other course in the 21st century but to diversify Michigan’s economy. In the last four years, we have created more than 11,000 new Michigan jobs in the renewable energy industry – good jobs at a family-sustaining wage. But now that the nation’s energy agenda aligns with Michigan’s plan, we can seize on this opportunity to do even more. Increasing Our Renewable Energy Goals After Governor Granholm called for it in her State of the State address last year, the Legislature passed Michigan’s first renewable energy goal: at least 10 percent of the power we use will come from carbon-free sources by 2015, giving us new tools to develop this emerging industry. In the months since we put this goal in place, we have attracted manufacturers and designers, alternative energy visionaries and entrepreneurs, and the jobs they are creating, including: • Mariah Power that announced they will build small, residential wind turbines in Manistee; • Cascade Engineering that is expanding its Swift Wind Turbine in Grand Rapids; • United Solar Ovonic that announced another new solar panel factory in Battle Creek; • Global Wind Systems that will locate its first facility in Novi;