When it comes to the economy, how can you ignore a statement like this?

“In another analysis by the American Wind Energy Association, Michigan has the potential to become a leader in wind energy — a field it estimates could produce more than 30,000 jobs.”

This article from is from no less than the Chicago Tribune. The short story: Michigan colleges see the potential for renewable energy in the state and so do their students. The outlook for Michigan is good if we can just keep things rolling long enough!

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.

Cleantechnica.com has an excellent blog post that describes the EPA’s release of a Google Earth mashup of potential sites for renewable energy sources to be built. The author does a good job describing what the map means.

There are many locations in Michigan that have potential. Of particular interest to me personally is the site in Kalamazoo that my grandfather worked at when it was a paper mill. It has long been shut down, but in his day, it was a thriving paper factory that employed a lot of people with decent wages for the day. Back then, they did not consider the long term effects of what they were doing. I think it would be an awesome thing for these sites, once a source of sustained pollution, to be transformed into renewable energy sites. The potential for green collar jobs at these sites will only help our economy and help us create our own energy.