We’ve posted stories and videos about the wind projects happening in the thumb area of the state. This article at mlive.com (from the Bay City Times) caught my eye as it really highlights the renewed economic hope the people in that part the state have. They are hoping to attract green collar jobs to support the wind opportunities in that area.
I am excited to see this story from the Detroit News website. It talks about the municipally owned energy utility in Wyandotte’s project to put up five wind turbines in an urban area.
One of the arguments against wind turbines is the concern about appearances. Having a giant turbine in the middle of a populated area could be unsightly. It is my opinion that residents would not care too much about this if they a) could see where their energy is coming from, b) have a sense of pride that it is renewable and plentiful, and c) cost the same or less.
This is one project I will be watching carefully. It would be great to bring this to my part of the state.
Governor Granholm signed legislation this week that requires our state to produce 10% of its energy from renewable resources by 2015. That is just 7 years away. The governors office says the details of the legislation “can create more than 60,000 jobs by investing in solar, wind, biofuels and energy efficiency, citing the Center for American Progress.”
The financial bailout that did not pass the House has passed the Senate. The Senate’s version contains tax credits for alternative energy, according to this story at Bloomberg.
Let’s see if the House can get their work done now.
I love Google. I really do. You need to read this article because it shows that they are forward thinking and willing to shake things up to get something done.
If you have known me for any amount of time, you know that I could be a Google poster child. I use pretty much all of their services, have recommended and deployed some of them as corporate solutions, and am quick to recommend Google anything for a solution. I really do think they have some wonderful technologies and ideas.
That is one of the reasons this article at WorldChanging.com caught my eye, especially with regards to Michigan. Google has a strong presence in Ann Arbor, no doubt (at least partially) to keep their eyes open for more PhD’s coming out of the University of Michigan.
Both GE and Google have the financial ability to lobby for renewable energy policy changes on a level that mere mortals will never reach. But the exciting thing to me is the pairing of the two at what they do best, which GE actually mentions in the article.
“Smart grids also provide consumers with advanced information about their electricity usage, which encourages energy efficiency. “We make the gadgets, smart meters, and people like Google could make the software,” said GE chief executive officer Jeff Immelt at a Google technology conference where the partnership was announced.”
I am wondering if T. Boone Pickens will mention anything about this when he is in Ann Arbor this week. I have to believe there will be people from Google there.
According to Reuters, time is running out for Congress to get its act together and extend the tax credits for renewable energy. How the House can fund its ideas and the Senate can’t is beyond me, other than it’s not a genuine priority.
This snippet near the end of the new article really caught my eye.
“If Congress does not act to extend the renewable energy incentives, which expire at the end of the year, the solar industry alone would lose 39,000 jobs in 2009, according to a Solar Energy Industries Association spokeswoman.”
Turn this around for a minute. What if the news could read like this:
“39,000 jobs were created in 2009 alone as renewable energy incentives spawned a new era of innovation in America’s journey to energy independence.”
Wake up, Congress! We need these incentives to stay in place!
While not comprehensive by any measure, this article from news-journalonline.com gives a summary of each candidate’s enerfy view.
One thing that I do not see addressed is the individual’s opportunity to address the use of renewable energy. A (hopefull( well thought out blog post on this topic is forthcoming as I percolate those thoughts!
There is no doubt that the Pickens Plan is gaining momentum nationally and here in the state of Michigan. I am excited to see that T. Boone Pickens is coming to our great state to talk about his plan and energy independence.
As much as it is an environmental issue, I see our current state of affairs both an economic crisis and economic opportunity. If there is any state economy that can benefit from renewable energy and create green collar jobs, it is our Great Lake State.
Here are the details: Oct. 1, 5:00 pm (doors open to the public at 4:30 pm). The event is being held at the Power Center at the University of Michigan, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. The Power Center is at 121 Fletcher, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2017.
At the time of this writing, the latest version of this is basically dead. Even so, this article at SeekingAlpha.com has some interesting information in it.
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