Lillgrund by axelivarsson

Early in February, Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center and the University of Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute received $1.34 million in state grants to explore the feasibility of offshore wind turbines on Lake Michigan.

Although this study is not yet even off the ground, Scandia Wind and Havgul Clean Energy have already jumped beyond feasibility to propose a massive offshore wind farm. Green Beat notes that Great Lakes wind farms are failing the NIMBY test. The Michigan Policy Network notes that in a rare display of timeliness, a pair of bills are attempting to address industrial wind power in the Great Lakes:

In Michigan, one of our most promising options for renewable energy is electricity generating wind turbines. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Michigan has the potential for 16,560 Megawatts of wind energy, making us the biggest stakeholder in wind energy east of the Mississippi River. Despite that fact, we lag far behind many other eastern states in actual installed capacity. Why is that? Wind energy will last as long as the earth's atmosphere is in place, emits no greenhouse gases, and the average wind turbine generates enough electricity to 'pay back' its energy cost of production and transportation in a few months. What's not to like?

Well, wind energy happens to be generated with turbines on top of very tall towers, with rotor diameters often measuring 100 meters across. These turbines stick out in a natural landscape like a sore thumb, and create considerable noise. They have also been proven to kill birds and bats which fly into the rapidly spinning rotors...

Policy makers are now scrambling to lay down guidelines for how this rapidly expanding industry will be regulated. Senate bill 1067 compels the Michigan public service commission to create rules and procedures for the permitting, site selection, and fee regulation of offshore wind farms. A key piece of this legislation is ‘the preservation of the public trust in lands and waters of the Great Lakes', which means that the needs and wants of wind energy developers must not infringe on the needs and wants of the rest of the Lake's stakeholders. That includes the tourism industry and the cottage owners who bought their property with an unobstructed view of Lake Michigan in mind. House bill 5761 amends the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act to provide for a public notice and comment/review process before any aspect of wind farm infrastructure can be developed. In this way, the public has a venue in which to voice their concerns with any proposed wind farm development.

mLive has a lot more about the controversy and legislation. Check it out and let us know what you think about this in the comments. One thing is certain: We'll be hearing a whole lot about wind power in the Great Lakes in 2010.

The photos above are from the Lillgrund Wind Farm, the third largest wind farm in the world which generates .33 Terawatts per year. Have a look at axelivarsson's slideshow, and consider that the wind farm proposed one off Ludington would be almost 5 times that size.

Enrico Fermi 2 by daryl.larkin

Michigan Solar Solutions says that Michigan is Poised for 'Solar Explosion' in 2010:

According to company President Mark Hagerty, the year is shaping up to be "a perfect storm for solar" in the state.

"Many people think that solar won't work in Michigan because it's too cold and it doesn't get as much sun as other places, but that's misconstrued," Hagerty said. "Michigan has an average of 4.2 hours of peak sunlight per day each year. Florida, the 'Sunshine State' only has about five hours. Solar panels are less efficient the hotter they get and actually produce more power when it gets cooler. While the Southwest may get more hours of sun, the panels produce less voltage per peak hour because of the heat." He added that in 2008, his company's solar panels produced 1.2 times the rated output at 10 degrees below zero.

One reason Hagerty says Michigan is the place for solar power in 2010: rising electricity prices and increasing state and federal incentives mean that renewable energy has never been cheaper.

Now you have to figure that a company called Michigan Solar Solutions is going to be pretty bullish on solar energy, but we did a little checking and found that Michigan is a lot better than you might think for sun power:

• Solar Power Rocks lists Michigan State Solar Power Rebates, Tax Credits, and Incentives (there's a lot of them)
• The Michigan Dept of Labor & Economic Growth's Wind & Solar pages are packed with info including the Michigan Renewable Energy Program and this Solar Power Tour of Michigan (pdf)
• Michigan Advantage lists some success stories and talks about Solar Incentives for businesses
• If you're looking for someone to help you explore solar at your home or business, try the Solar Energy Businesses in Michigan (almost 60 listed).
• ...and every June there's the Michigan Energy Fair.

I'll bet there's a lot more solar energy info for Michigan out there - share it in the comments!

The Day The Earth Will Stand Still
by Mykl Roventine

10 years ago I was - like many other information industry professionals - nervously counting down to Y2K. The Year 2000 Problem / Y2K entry at Wikipedia has a good overview of the issue. While it seems looking back as if the problem was overblown, this retrospective on the legacy of Y2K from American Radio quotes David Eddy (the guy who coined Y2K) as saying that while most civilians believe that the whole Y2K thing was a hoax, the real reason nothing bad happened was that so many people put so much hard work into it. John Koskinen, President Clinton's czar in charge of overseeing Y2K fixes, echoed that:

"The only way to be a hero," says Koskinen, "would be for half the world to stop and then somehow get it started again which was not one of our goals. Like a lot of things in government, if it works well nobody cares much."

Koskinen points to evidence that the fix was needed. Some computers that didn't get fixed stopped working on New Year's Day. He says some of those glitches would normally have been big news, but since people were expecting the end of the world, they didn't seem like that big a deal. Koskinen was in the Y2K nerve center in Washington, D.C. that night, monitoring systems all over the world. He says the public doesn't realize how many things went wrong.

Koskinen describes the scene as he saw it unfurl. "The low level wind shear detectors at every major airport go out at 7:00 on Friday night, the defense intelligence satellite system goes down, the French intelligence satellite goes down, the Japanese lose the ability to monitor a couple of their nuclear power plants, and come Monday morning, there are thousands of businesses that when you buy something with your credit card charge you every day of the week"

But in the end, most major business and government computers did get fixed. In fact, so few things went wrong that after Y2K, some businesspeople complained that the money they spent was wasted. But Business Week chief economist Michael Mandel disagrees. He says Y2K forced business to make upgrades that they're still using. "If you look at the Y2K," says Mandel, "you can sort of say, 'Maybe we didn't have to be so wired up about it.' But the fact is, it may have been the right thing to do from a social and economic point of view."

You can also read Y2K COMPUTER BUG -- THE YAWN OF A NEW MILLENNIUM by Ben Best for more about the techno-apocalypse that wasn't.

Looking back, I wish that I could have had some of the many hours of meetings with clients and local government officials back, but in the end I pretty much agree that Y2K did a lot of good by pointing out to people how dependent we are on those low-level computer systems. Happy Y2K + 10 and here's a little video about what didn't happen:

Windmill by reddeviltj

University of Michigan student Aubrey Ann Parker is in Copenhagen and blogging for the Detroit Free Press about her experiences and observations at the 15th Conference of the Parties United Nations Climate Change Convention. Wherever you come down in the climate debate, I think it's instructive to hear about the issues and actions that are being discussed. In Copenhagen's offshore wind industry shows global potential she asks a very simple question that's been on my mind for a few years:

Why aren't we using our technical expertise and warehouses full of machinery equipment to help optimize wind turbines that could be used throughout the world? This morning I attended a three-hour tour to Middelgrunden Wind Farm, just off the coast of Copenhagen. Luckily this tour didn't turn out like Gilligan's, because the temperature was below freezing.

The tour highlighted several speakers from the wind energy industry, all of which mentioned the need for better turbine design so that wind energy can become more affordable for consumers. They stressed the importance of new technology to overcome the learning curve in an industry that is still fairly young (only 30 years old for onshore turbines, and less than 10 years for offshore). But the potential is there, and estimates say the demand is growing fast.

Why not indeed? That Michigan hasn't trained its manufacturing might upon this exploding global market seems to me indicative of a profound lack of vision on the part of our business and political leaders.

You can read more from Aubrey and other UM students on the Michigan at Cop15 blog.

Wind farm in Ubly Michigan by Ray Dumas

The 2nd annual Conference on Michigan's Future will be held Friday November 13 through Sunday, November 15, 2009 at Crystal Mountain Resort near Traverse City.

The conference will explores visions of a sustainable future for Michigan, from the critical challenges facing our economy to strategies for developing a stable, enduring economic, energy and environmental future. It features forty speakers providing high-powered, cutting-edge presentations including Robert Costanza, Albert Bates, Thomas Greco, Richard Douthwaite, Patrick Moore, Harvey Wasserman, Richard Gilbert, Soji Adelaja, Joe Welch, and Dan Scripps.

Last year Absolute Michigan talked with Crystal Mountain GM Jim MacInnes about the last year's conference and you can watch it right here:

Photo Credit

The photos in the video are from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr. If you mouse over them you can see title and photographer's name and you can click to see more great work from them.

Pumpkin Patch by Larry the Biker

In his essay Threatening Agriculture, Michigan Radio's Jack Lessenberry says that it looks as if Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm will veto funding for agricultural extension programs after witholding the October payment for extension. He quotes dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University Jeffrey Armstrong as saying this would be devastating to Michigan's second largest industry in a variety of ways including the loss of millions more in federal matching funds.

“The Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station system and MSU extension are providing the research, development, and education for Michigan’s emerging green economy,” Armstrong said.

If that funding is eliminated, or even if it is withheld, he says it would “destroy our ability to build the one economic sector in which Michigan has an advantage,” he says.

What that would mean is that MSU would have to shut down its 83 extension offices -- one per county - plus 15 agricultural and biological research stations and some other programs.

Jack notes that we're not just talking 4H here - we're talking after school programs in inner cities and a wide range of health and education issues that touch all aspects of our lives in Michigan.

I'll switch to italics to editorialize: This is about the most senseless thing I've ever heard of. Michigan is defined by what we grow and right now it seems like we're growing stupidity.

167|365 ride the wind by nicole st. john

The Huron Daily Tribune noted last week in Final report: Wind potential high that the final report issued Thursday by the Michigan Wind Energy Resource Zone Board (view PDF) identified key regions for wind energy generation and a potential annual energy output of an eye-popping 17,720,522 megawatts! The report found that major region in Michigan for wind power generation is:

... the Thumb Region — which includes Huron County and portions of Bay, Saginaw, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties — has the potential of having a minimum of 1,578 and maximum of 2,824 turbines. The wind board derived this figure with the assumption there were no turbines placed within the boundaries of the villages and cities, as well as three townships.

In addition to the Thumb Region (Region 4), other areas included as having the highest level of wind energy harvest potential in the wind board’s final report include portions of Allegan County (Region 1), portions of Antrim and Charlevoix counties (Region 2), and portions of Benzie, Leelanau and Manistee counties (Region 3).

Yesterday, in GVSU Lake Michigan wind energy test project gets $1.4 million federal grant, the Grand Haven Tribune reported that:

Grand Valley State University's efforts to launch a wind turbine testing project on Lake Michigan will receive a $1.4 million federal grant.

The school's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC), based in Muskegon, is planning to put a turbine on a floating platform to test how it works on the Great Lakes. Researchers hope to have the platform installed by fall 2010.

MAREC notes that the wind potential of Lake Michigan is in the range of 4 to 6 wind class with 7 being the highest possible. A tenth of the wind power potential of Lake Michigan alone is equivalent to some 20 nuclear power plants and when you look at that and at the state's overall potential for wind power, it seems to make a ton of sense for Michigan to support wind energy development as aggressively as we once pushed the auto industry.

Speaking of industry & wind, check out this video of Dr. Soji Adelaja from the Michigan Land Policy Institute (the organization that produced the map to the right) talking about wind energy generation at industrial brownfield sites:

See absolutemichigan.com/wind for much more about wind power, windmills and wind energy generation in Michigan.

Chevy Volt by wizardkitten

Autotopia from WIRED reports that GM is claiming that the forthcoming Chevy Volt will get 230 MPG.

That’s more than four times higher than the Toyota Prius, the current EPA fuel-efficiency champ.

The figure is based on development testing using methodology drafted by the Environmental Protection Agency for plug-in hybrid vehicles. Company CEO Fritz Henderson offered no details on how GM arrived at that figure, but he predicted the Volt will be the first mass-produced vehicle to top 100 mpg in combined city and highway driving. Coupled with the car’s expected electric-only range of 40 miles, Henderson said the Volt could all but free consumers from petroleum. According to the Department of Transportation, nearly 80 percent of Americans drive less than 40 miles each day.

“From the data we’ve seen, many Chevy Volt drivers may be able to drive in pure electric mode on a daily basis without having to use any gas,” Henderson said. “EPA labels are a yardstick for customers to compare the fuel efficiency of vehicles. So, a vehicle like the Volt that achieves a composite triple-digit fuel economy is a game-changer.”

There's some interesting discussion about whether or not that's possible after the article and also at Slashdot, where they note that this is what's behind the cryptic "230" ad campaign that pointed to today as the date when everyone (anyone?) who has been wondering about this would finally be able to sleep at night and know what is 230? (also has a link to the Chevy Volt Facebook if you want to befriend this potentially game-changing car.

If you have other questions, maybe Chevy Volt Co-Creator Jon Lauckner can answer them in this video below.

UK Solar Power Experiment by david.nikonvscanon

The Michigan Energy Fair returns to the Manistee County Fairgrounds in Onekama June 26-28, 2009. This year is the 4th annual and the weekend offers a chance learn all about how alternative energy can and is working in Michigan.

The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports:

This marks the fourth annual event and as many as 8,000 visitors are expected between June 26 and 28.

Keynote speaker will be Larry Flowers from the U.S. Department of Energy and special tours are planned, including the first Michigan-made wind system in Manistee County and a LEED-certified home tour in Kingsley. The event will conclude with wine tasting at the Douglas Valley Farm, vineyards and organic winery and cheese factory.

Lighthouse Colors by oliviaburger08

It's fitting that the Energy Fair is held in Manistee County as it's been identified as one of the best locations for wind energy in Michigan:

The Wind Energy Resource Zone Board, created by the Legislature in an energy package passed last year, has identified the four that would be best for wind farm development. (see wind maps)

The areas are Allegan County; portions of Benzie, Leelanau and Manistee counties; portions of Antrim and Charlevoix counties, and parts of the Thumb counties of Huron, Sanilac, Tuscola, Bay and Saginaw.

Michigan Energy Fair Links

Recap of the 2008 Michigan Energy Fair

Get lodging, dining and visitor information for Manistee and Onekama from Absolute Michigan

Recap of the 2007 Michigan Energy Fair

Recap of the 2006 Michigan Energy Fair

The Michigan land Use Institute reports on the 2007 Michigan Energy Fair (with video) and also on the 2006 Michigan Energy Fair.

Check Absolute Michigan keyword energy for a gigawatt more related links and articles.

Registrants can save at least $25 by signing up today for the $110 early registration fee. The registration fee increases to $135 from April 1-May 4. Registration on the day of the event, if still available, will be $185. A limited number of student registrations are still available for only $35 for college and high school students as well.

The conference seeks to encourage workforce development and economic growth, showcase Michigan as a state that is embracing green economy and to provide a networking platform to build relationships and public/private partnerships in Michigan's green sectors. The agenda includes a panel discussion with Apollo Alliance Director Kate Gordon and numerous breakout session that explore what people all over Michigan are doing today and where we might go. The keynote speaker appears to have been a fortuitous choice:

“One reason we decided to extend the deadline is the fact we received exciting news this week that our keynote speaker, Van Jones, was tapped by the Obama administration as a Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation,” said DELEG Director Stanley Pruss. “We know that people are excited more than ever about hearing how Michiganders of all socio-economic backgrounds can be a part of the new green economy.”

Jones believes it's time to create the Clean Energy Corps - a modern version of FDR's Civilian Conservation Corps. He will be working on the President’s agenda of creating 21st century jobs that improve energy efficiency and utilize renewable resources and will also help to shape and advance the Administration’s energy and climate initiatives with a specific interest in improvements and opportunities for vulnerable communities.

Looks like an interesting conference for anyone who is seeking to get involved in the growing "green wave" that is building in Michigan and across the country - register today!

windmill (sepia) by idiot_girl

In Training Turbine Installers: A Michigan First, the blog Got2BeGreen tipped us off to:

A school in southwest Michigan called Kalamazoo Valley Community College is launching a first-of-its-kind program to train people to install wind turbines. If you want to get one of those green jobs that Van Jones and the others keep talking about, you might want to sign up.

...the KVCC Wind Turbine Technician Academy program is set to begin in October. It will run for 26 weeks, be based on a European certification standard and train people in the installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of commercial-scale turbines, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette.

From the Gazette's article:

There is a similar program to it in Alberta, Canada, but when this program launches in October through KVCC's Michigan Technical Education Center, it will be the only one like it in the United States, said Jim DeHaven, vice president for economic and business development for KVCC.

"People are going to be coming from all over the country to get into this class because the waiting list is so long in Alberta," DeHaven said.

"It's going to put us on the national and international map," he said.

The article also notes that KVCC will be offering a program starting this summer to teach people to service commercial-grade wind turbines and Got2BeGreen called out a similar program that Delta College in Bay County is working on.

The 49ers were after gold but it looks like the 09ers will be after wind!

Face Plant by by Rudy Malmquist

We try to be as positive as possible, but I do hope that everyone (and yes, I'm looking at you elected officials) is preparing to need to do extraordinary things to keep our state and the people in it afloat.

1. Jack Lessenberry spoke with Ismael Ahmed, director of the Michigan Department of Human Services, who worries that Michigan is nearing the cliff, staring down:

...an explosion in poverty, in need, in families slipping below the water line, just at a time when he knows he is going to have to do much, much more with less money...

(Ahmed says) "We've seen a dramatic increase in poverty in the state. More than one-fourth of children are living in poverty. "More than 2 million people are living below the poverty line, and that's still increasing. And when you count people who are working but who just don't make enough to live, that increases to about a third of the state."

2. When we look at our massive deficit, it's instructive to look at what's behind it. Peter Luke at mLive points out that tax cuts have left Michigan unable to invest in itself:

The Headlee amendment to the Michigan Constitution is simple. The state can collect up to 9.49 percent of personal income in taxes and fees approved by the Legislature. Anything over that has to be returned to taxpayers. The aim was to cap the growth of government.

...in funding essential services, state government in 2010 will collect a little more than half -- $14 billion-- of what the father of the modern conservative movement in Michigan thought appropriate.

For all the hand-wringing over how to return to prosperity, Michigan is unable to make long-term investments in its future.

Luke gets bashed in the comments on his article, but the case he makes that we have cut ourselves into a corner is worth a little thought.

3. On the bright side, the Michigan Policy Network says that our corner is nowhere near as dark as California's:

The projected FY2009 budget gap is 672 million dollars. This number is significant, and additional cuts or tax increases are needed to stabilize Michigan’s economy. However, this budget deficit is only 2.9% of the size of the total projected budget, a comparatively small margin. While the situation seems significant, consider California. The nation’s biggest state has an astounding projected deficit of 35.9 billion dollars. That’s 35.5% of the total projected 2009 budget.

4. The Freep takes a look at a few measures designed to spark our sputtering economy.

5. Finally, I'd like to direct you over to Michigan in Pictures where you can see this photo from the pentax hammer bigger and hopefully take a little hope into your day from these words:

In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.
~ Albert Camus

People and Land (PAL) is an organization focused on growth and change in Michigan, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Every day, decisions made by local officials and state leaders about how Michigan’s land is used have great impact on both regional quality of life and our state’s economic future. Those decisions are often chaotic and damaging.

PAL is focused on Six Pillars for Prosperity, an agenda to reinvent Michigan as a global economic player. With this agenda as a guide, Michigan needs to carefully plan how communities and regions grow so they will develop in ways that create outstanding quality of life and economic prosperity, and strategically position those communities and regions as contributors to the New Economy.

Untitled by Vanessa Miller
Vanessa has a great set of photos from
allied media conference oh8

Wiretap's Jenny Lee has a great article called In Detroit: Arsenal of Creativity. It begins:

“Michigan will be the next film capitol of the world,” Clint Eastwood said in a recent interview following the release of his new film Gran Torino, shot in Detroit. The state’s generous tax incentives for film production have spurred a boost in jobs in a year that's seen declines in nearly every other industry. While it's exciting to see the rise of film-based enterprise in Michigan, we can't rely on it, or any single industry to fill the enormous hole left by the decline of the auto industry. Amid the current crisis we have an opportunity to fill the gap in our region's economy with diverse local initiatives, including community-based media, which thrives off the city's creative past and present.

It continues and ends well as it does a great job of introducing you to Allied Media Projects (AMP) and looking at some of last year's conference recommendations like building community wireless and broadband, cultivating local music and teaching media arts. You should go read it.

AMP hosts the annual Allied Media Conference in Detroit, which attracts North America's most creative and skilled media makers and social justice organizers. The 11th AMC takes place July 16-19, 2009 - check it out!

327 Chevy Volt by mikeh5856

The Michigan Messenger asks: Will batteries recharge Michigan's economy? To answer it, they turn to science writer Howard Lovy, one of the founders of Ann Arbor-based nanotechnology and microsystems publication Small Times. Lovy has covered science, technology and business for Michigan and national media including Wired and the New York Times and provides the best analysis of what over $350 million in tax credits for battery manufacture will mean for Michigan.

Lovy notes that while lithium-ion battery manufacturing for electric hybrid vehicles will not in and of itself be a huge employer for Michigan, the issue is vitally important for one reason:

Infrastructure.

It’s even coming out of the mouths of GM, which appears to be ahead of the other U.S. automakers when it comes to reading the proverbial writing on the wall. Larry Burns, vice president for research and development for GM, has called for “sharing the public/private risks and rewards — possibly creating a partnership between the U.S. government, auto manufacturers and suppliers, the energy and infrastructure industries …”

What many in the U.S. Congress — and Detroit’s critics across the country — failed to grasp is that the auto industry is infrastructure and just as important to our national health and future as rebuilding crumbling bridges. And, a key part of that infrastructure involves batteries. An investment in the auto industry, in batteries, is akin Eisenhower’s launch of the Interstate Highway System. Old Dwight pictured the system as being used for national defense. Civilian use, of course, completely overshadowed the need to move missiles around.

Better batteries, stand-alone fuel cells, for our automobiles will eventually translate to better, smarter power for our homes and offices. It is directly related to new smart grid technologies that will replace our creaking, old 20th century electric power infrastructure.

This is a great article and I really hope you can take a moment to read it. You might also want to hear GM CEO Rick Wagoner discuss the lithium ion battery pack that powers the Volt and other hybrids:

They're coming, and they're liking what they're seeing and we have a chance to seed a new industry in the state of Michigan.
~Mitch Albom

Scott Allman has produced a great interview with Mitch Albom about the Michigan Film Incentive. Check it out below!

MSU College of Human Medicine by Eridony

Going up

The New York Times reports that in the midst of the darkest economic times Michigan has seen in decades, the University of Michigan is spending billions to grow with nearly three million square feet new buildings for science, medicine, health, art, business, sports, food service and student housing under construction and five others  in the design stage.

wizardkitten at Blogging for Michigan packed a lot of positive economic stories for Michigan into a post about how Obama's "Green New Deal" can create jobs, ease global warming and lessen our dependence on foreign oil all at the same time. She links to a nice article about Michigan-based Hemlock Semiconductor and also to related stories in the Freep and LA Times and notes that when added to our burgeoning movie industry, those folks out on the west coast might start to think that we are OK after all. Especially if - as she reports elsewhere - Gov. Granholm is tapped for the post of Queen of England.

Fallen by jnhkrawczyk

Going down

Unfortunately, it's not all (or even mostly) good news. Comerica Bank's preliminary November Michigan Business Activity Index (28k PDF) fell 4 points to 79 - the lowest level in 16 years. The November reading was down 13 points from November 2007 and 27% from its October 2003 peak of 108. That decline rivals the largest previous peak- to-trough decline of 33% between September 1978 and June 1980.

Michigan Radio's Jack Lessenberry notes that while Washington doesn’t have to live within its means and can borrow and borrow and borrow - hello $11,000,000,000,000 national debt - state governments are not so lucky (also check out his interview with Chris Christoff, the Freep's Lansing Bureau chief). Jack notes that every few months, Michigan has a "revenue estimating conference" wherein budget controllers assess expected revenues as compared to budgeted expenditures. When revenues fall short, it's time for cuts. A round of cuts is expected this month, and it likely won't be the last. He says that our elected officials can go to their usual strategy of blaming each other (and solving nothing) or steal a page from the past:

Back in the 1970s, Governor Milliken used to convene regular weekly meetings of what he called the “quadrant,” the majority and minority leaders in the House and Senate. They would get together and discuss how best to solve state problems.

Governor Jennifer Granholm should try that. She is in a position to serve as an honest broker. She can’t run again. These are desperate times, and saving the state needs to take top priority.

In a move that seems oddly desperate, General Motors is selling about 200 vehicles from its collection of 1000 vintage GM cars & trucks. They will be sold at Barrett-Jackson's 2009 Scottsdale Auction and could raise as little as $5 million.

And speaking of roller coasters...

Reports suggest that the Tigers are no closer to filling the roll of closer. Rollercoaster Jones, where are you?

A2 City Reflections by Behind
My Blue Eyes ~~ Stevie Exxxx

Before we go into some positive economic stories from Michigan, here's The Big Fat Auto Bailout Collapse from The Daily Beast and Mitch Albom saying Hey, you senators: Thanks for nothing:

There ought to be a law — against the hypocrisy our government has demonstrated. The speed with which wheelbarrows of money were dumped on Wall Street versus the slow noose hung on the auto companies’ necks is reprehensible. Some of those same banks we bailed out are now saying they won’t extend credit to auto dealers. Wasn’t that why we gave them the money? To loosen credit?

Where’s your tight grip on those funds, senators? Where’s your micromanaging of the wages in banking? Or do you just enjoy having your hands around blue-collared throats?

The carmakers did get a modicum of hope on Saturday, and the Wall Street Journal looks at considerations facing the White House in what appears to the likely granting of funds to the carmakers from the financial bailout package. You can also check out Gov. Granholm, former governor Mitt Romney, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Wal-Mart president Lee Scott and Google CEO Eric Schmidt discussing the auto bailout and the wider economy on Meet the Press (if you want to skip the Rod Blagojevich-fest that leads off, scroll to 20:30).

One of the items lost in the general shroud of gloom hanging over Michigan last week was the news that MSU was awarded $550-million nuclear physics project by US Energy Department. Michigan State University will be the site for a new $550-million research Facility for Rare Isotope Beams that will employ at least 300 people. The equipment:

...would be at least 1,000 times more powerful than the machines now running at MSU's National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory. In some cases, 100,000 times more. It will be used to provide intense beams of rare isotopes for researchers which will lay the groundwork for study in a number of fields, including treating cancer and providing technology for border security.

Last week also saw the launch of the Keep Michigan Working program, a partnership of state, local and community officials designed to assist workers and businesses with challenges posed by the economic downturn. Head over to mLive to read more about the program that will focus on attracting businesses through financial incentives and developing a workforce to support emerging industries like alternative energy, life sciences and information technology. Be sure to also check out the info on the Keeping Michigan Working site including a list of high-demand jobs & job facilitators in your area of Michigan.

I had hopes yesterday that I'd be able to include the Lions triumphantly fighting off NFL history in this feature. I think we all could have guessed how that turned out. However, even though they moved to 0-15 and a heartbeat from "worst team ever", Lions kicker Jason Hanson set an NFL record for most career field goals over 50 yards. Congratulations to a real class act! Here's Jason Hanson's Wikipedia page and also his player bio from the Detroit Lions.

Big Bright Light Show Rochester 2006 by eric.whalen81

In Detroit Rarely Misses a Chance to Miss a Chance in Wired, they list 5  ways the Big 3 have missed the boat ... their ride ... whatever. My favorite:

2. Electric vehicles - All of the automakers — including Honda (the EV+) and Toyota (the RAV4 EV) — are guilty of pulling the plug on EVs prematurely in the late 1990s, arguing the technology was too expensive, the batteries unproven and the demand for such cars nonexistent. But GM lost the most with the EV1 debacle. You can argue the car was entirely too expensive and way too advanced for its time — "The EV1 was a work of art," one EV advocate told us. "And that was the problem." — but the fact remains GM held the future in its hands and threw it away.

Jalopnik has the complete draft text of the bill plus discussion that is better - though a bit more rambunctious - than the bill. Seems ambitious enough:

LONG-TERM RESTRUCTURING PLAN ENSURING VIABILITY, INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS, AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY.—Not later than March 31, 2009, each eligible automobile manufacturer (1) shall submit to the President’s designee (2) a long-term restructuring plan to achieve and sustain the long-term viability and international competitiveness of the domestic automobile industry (3)...

From a quick scan of the bill and an even quicker read of this and this, it seems that the bailout will likely have lots and lots of strings and put the auto industry at center stage for at least a little while.

Good.

It seems to me that after years of practicing our one state recession that we should have an opportunity to perform it on the national stage.

Untitled by Tony Katai

The Telegraph reports (be sure to watch the UM News video below!) that water power generation technologies that use waves, tides or faster currents created by dams are limited in where they can be used and cause significant obstruction in rivers or the sea. Turbines and water mills need an average current of five or six knots to operate efficiently, while most of the earth's currents are slower than three knots.

Now comes a device designed by scientists at the University of Michigan called the "Vivace" (vortex-induced vibrations for aquatic clean energy) that is inspired by the way fish swim.

The engineers are now deploying a prototype device in the Detroit River, which has a flow of less than two knots. Their work, funded by the US Department of Energy and the US Office of Naval Research, is published in the current issue of the quarterly Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering.

A few weeks ago, Chris Schilling of the Tri-Cities Business Review wrote an interesting post about why he thinks Michigan offshore wind farms are inevitable: the potential supply of offshore, wind-generated electricity is simply too big to ignore:

...a small increase in wind speed enormously boosts power. Despite high installation and maintenance costs, offshore wind farms can be profitable if the wind blows fast enough. As a general rule, offshore wind speeds are much, much bigger than onshore wind speeds. This is especially true in Michigan, as it is in Europe. (check out the Michigan wind maps)

Finally, a couple of quick hits: First, in Greening Cherry Republic, the Glen Arbor Sun takes a look at activities that the world's largest cherry products company is taking to reduce energy consumption. Second, I think that this Comedy Central interview with T. Boone Pickens talking about how we can use our resources in America to end our dependence on foreign oil is more than just funny - it lays out a clear path towards energy independence that relies on common sense investment and decisions.

the creative big three by vanessamiller
(John Howkins, Charles Landry & Richard Florida)

We'll lead off with a quick plug for an upcoming conference and a look back at one from the recent past. The Conference on Michigan's Future takes place in a few weeks (Nov 14-16) at Crystal Mountain with a focus on peak oil, energy & transportation choices, local food, climate change and planning. Two weeks ago the Creative Cities Summit 2.0 in Detroit brought folks from all over the world to Detroit to talk about what cities could and should be. Check out Model D's great report from the conference.

The future is kind of a scary concept these days with talk now that the Big Three might very well become the Not So Large Two, so I suppose we in Michigan can be forgiven for closing our eyes and hoping that it will all come out all right in the end.

Up in Northwest Michigan, folks (including myself) are working on a project for Absolute Michigan sponsor The Grand Vision. It's a six county effort that is seeking input on the ways that the region should grow - something that should be useful for those from all over the state. The Grand Vision "Scorecards" are due this week and you can get all sorts of information and fill yours out at thegrandvision.org/scorecard. There's also a video below.

'Peaking' at the 'Future' (one gallon at a time) by PhotoLab507

mLive has a guest blog from MSU Karl Guenther about the role of agriculture in the Michigan's future. He notes that while manufacturing in this state is big and getting smaller, agriculture is big and getting bigger. Karl says that MSU's Project GREEEN (Generating Research and Extension to meet Economic and Environmental Needs) is a tremendous investment. He references their excellent annual report to the Legislature (PDF) to say:

We have about 10 million acres of farmland, or 53,200 farms averaging 190 acres each. Our farmers produce more than 200 commodities commercially, making Michigan second in diversity of production only to California, which has citrus. We export about a third of all that, generating a billion dollars and supporting 13,000 jobs. (and contributes $63.7 billion to the Michigan's economy!)

From the "You really think so?" files is the Detroit News' Nolan Finley saying Michigan should root for warmer earth because although we have 3,288 miles of coastline - more than any other state except Alaska -  cool weather leaves the beaches empty for half the year. Add 5 or 10 degrees and he can imagine Florida's sun and surf worshippers packing up for our shoreline or trading the broiling sun of Arizona for Michigan's golfers paradise. His tongue is probably partway in cheek as he says it may be our only way out of a dark economic hole, but it begs the question of "what's wrong with marketing what we already have?"

One thing I can tell you is you
got to be free by sgs_1019

A new report titled Michigan's Offshore Wind Potential from the Land Policy Institute at Michigan State University says that Michigan has the potential to become a big player in offshore wind energy:

The preliminary analysis finds that Michigan's portion of the Great Lakes has the capacity to produce 321,936 Megawatts of electricity from wind energy, a portion of which could be developed once depth, technology, view and environmental concerns are considered. Michigan's onshore wind potential was previously estimated at approximately 16,500 megawatts. The information provided by the new LPI report shows much more substantial opportunities for offshore wind energy.

"This result has the potential to elevate Michigan's wind energy profile nationally and internationally because the resource available is significant," said Dr Soji Adelaja, John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor and director of the Land Policy Institute. "Michigan is one of few states with the opportunity to generate wind power from its offshore areas."

By way of comparison, a brand-new coal plant (such as the one proposed for Midland) would produce somewhere in the neighborhood of 800 megawatts and a nuclear plant being considered for Detroit area would produce 1500 megawatts.

Speaking of coal plants, Jim Dulzo of the Michigan Land Use Institute notes in Wind Power Is Officialy Cheaper that according to none other than the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the price of new coal-fired power is now higher than the price of wind power due to the increasing costs to extract and transport coal plus the unknown cost of coming CO2 regulations. Here's a link to the FERC's presentation (PDF) and here's part of what Jim says about the implications:

FERC makes the same argument-and similar cost projections-that Tom Sanzillo, an investment banking and utility regulation veteran, made for electricity generated by Wolverine Power Cooperative’s proposed “Clean Energy Venture.” Mr. Sanzillo concluded that building two 300 MW coal- and petroleum coke-burning power plants next to Rogers City was a very risky idea that would more than double local electric rates.

When will Michigan's political leaders get this? Governor Granholm refuses to talk about the eight new coal plants proposed for Michigan-other than claiming there’s nothing she can do. Lansing lawmakers water down or hamstring the renewable energy and energy efficiency proposals the governor touts, proposals that would create lots of jobs and save us some money.

And the same crowd, Ms. Granholm included, endorses protecting DTE Energy and Consumers Energy from customer competition, guaranteeing that innovative green-energy companies head for Ohio, Minnesota, or other Midwest states that already have smart energy policies.

There's a bunch more to read there, and it left me wondering - as the October wind howls outside - exactly what would be driving Michigan to invest in plants that will be with us for 50+ years and need to be fed by imported coal and uranium when we've got this wind thing going on.

What do you think?

Sarna mentions the Independent Media Conference - there's a link.

ReEvolving to Green by mdprovost

It seems as if there's a wave building, one that could help to float Michigan out of our long economic doldrums. All across the state, businesses that leverage wind, sun and alternative energy are starting or expanding. Adding to the momentum is a recently approved Renewable Energy Package that raises rates but also provides incentives to offset that increase through purchase of compact fluorescents and other energy saving devices.

There is justifiable concern that we're raising energy prices at a time when we can ill afford it, but this is balanced by concern that we can't afford to fall any further behind in efforts to attract next-generation businesses to Michigan or to keep exporting our energy dollars out of Michigan. The Michigan Energy Overview from the Michigan Public Service Commission explains that:

Michigan imports 97 percent of its petroleum needs, 80 percent of its natural gas and 100 percent of coal and nuclear fuel from other states and nations. These imports account for about 70 cents of every dollar spent for energy by Michigan's citizens and businesses. Michigan spent a total of $37 billion on all forms of energy in 2007 and of that amount $26 billion was for the energy resources imported from other states and nations.

Events & Action

Green Jobs Now has designated Saturday (Sep 27) as a national day of action in support of jobs in renewable energy and other green industries. Here's a list of Green Jobs Now Events in Michigan.

You might also be interested in the Conference on Michigan's Future which will be held November 14-16, 2008 at Crystal Mountain Resort. It explore how rising oil and energy prices are crippling Michigan's economy and propose solutions to prepare Michigan for the economy of tomorrow.

Links & Beyond

• In addition to listing events, the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association has an amazing list of links to educational & scientific resources and organizations.
• Michigan GREEN (Group for a Renewable Energy Efficient Nation) is a non-profit group comprised of energy companies and consultants, governmental agencies, schools & individuals that champion renewable energy and energy efficiency in Michigan.
• The Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) in Muskegon is a research and development facility that is exploring new technologies and applications including an offshore wind energy pilot project.
• NextEnergy is a Detroit-based nonprofit that research catalysts and business accelerators for alternative and renewable energy
• The Michigan Energy Office manages state programs like Green Lodging, Rebuild Michigan, Biomass and Clean Cities.
• The Michigan Advantage from the MEDC is a site created to help companies seeking to relocate or invest in Michigan and alternative energy is one of their targeted industries for expansion.
• Urban Options has some Michigan Renewable Energy Success Stories that you might want to read.
• TEACH Great Lakes at the Great Lakes Information Network has a lot of resources for alternative energy education.
• Absolute Michigan keywords like wind energy, alternative energy and solar are great places to find articles and companies.
• As always, we need you to share links to companies, organizations, web sites and stories that we've missed in the comments!

.cadillac buildings-detroit. by tEdGuY49®

Note: they have a special "no frills" registration for $100 - amazing deal!

Detroit will host the Creative Cities Summit 2.0 (CCS2) on October 12-15, 2008 at the Renaissance Center. CCS2 is an interdisciplinary conference on the economic, social, cultural and environmental aspects of what makes great cities.

I could talk on and on about the eye-popping agenda they have created and amazing speakers who will attend - headlined by Dr. Richard Florida, author of Rise of the Creative Class, John Howkins, author of The Creative Economy, and Charles Landry, author of The Creative City. I could muse about how all the attendees from all over the world might influence the conversation about the re-invention of Detroit and Michigan. I could say that if you can't make it during the week, you might want to check out the Unconference on Sunday @ MOCAD.

However, I think it'll be enough to ask you to watch the videos in our Creative Cities 2.0 playlist below (including a little Detroit easter egg) and tell you to register now! See you there!

The finale of GM's centennial celebration today was the official reveal of the production 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the first official plug-in hybrid production vehicle from a major auto manufacturer. Details are slim, but what we know is this — GM calls it an Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV), it has a top speed of 100 mph and 40 miles on all-electric based on the EPA city cycle.

Get the full release (and a lot of geeked up chatter) at the link above and explore the Voltoverse from GM Next (including GM Volt videos). Here's a few videos including an Autoweek feature, GM's Rick Waggoner introducing the Volt and of course the vehicle itself.

Jacqui Balogh is an intern with Motion Marketing & Media who just graduated Michigan State in May. She hoped that one last time before she "had to become a real person and get a real job" she would get a chance to kick it out, have some fun and maybe make herself a more complete candidate for that real job. Add to that the fact that her college graduate-level email writing skills were quite persuasive and we hope understand why our random and arbitrary criteria led us to pick Jacqui!

Rob Forever - Pillar of Autumn
by Aaron Fortin

For the entire month of July, Absolute Michigan will be focusing of Michigan festivals celebrating music, art, food and the other things that make Michigan fun.

To kick it off, we're having a spur of the moment Rothbury Ticket Giveaway courtesy of the folks at GM Next Plug In! To enter, just send an email to absolutemichigan@gmail.com with the subject Why I Wanna Go to Rothbury. We'll pick a winner of two tickets based on our own random and arbitrary criteria and post it tomorrow afternoon! (scroll down for the details)

More about Rothbury

The inaugural Rothbury Music Festival takes place July 3-6, 2008 in Rothbury, Michigan (near Muskegon). Four days of music on six stages feature some of the biggest musical acts around including Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, John Mayer, 311, Phil Lesh, Trey Anastasio (also at the fest will be Jon Fishman & Mike Gordon of Phish), Primus, Snoop Dogg, Michael Franti, Gov't Mule, The Black Keys, Mickey Hart and about a jillion others!

The festival also features "Circus & Theater" with all kinds of crazy shows, fairs and other experiences, and the Rothbury Think Tank that will be focused on finding energy independence and feature:

...a mix of provocative keynote presentations, panel discussions, workshops, film screenings, and audience Q&A sessions throughout the festival site to offer insight into these and other questions. Interactive participation, both face-to-face and through the use of multi-media technology enable the ROTHBURY community to engage with the Think Tank at multiple levels.

GM Next Plug In

GMnext Plug In is a celebration of the 100+ year relationship between cars and music. From AM to FM, 8-track to cassette, compact disc to mp3, music is almost always a part of the driving experience. It's part of GMnext, GM’s centennial program that includes a series of Web-based activities aimed at engaging a new generation with behind-the-scenes stories and insights into the people of GM and the future of transportation ... and also through some of the biggest music events of the year that will feature some of the hottest bands and artists.

If you aren't selected in the giveaway and can't make it, tune into the GMNext YouTube channel for interviews of bands backstage at the Rothbury by Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass. Here's Kyle, Flyin:

The Details

• Please don't enter if you can't go - two tickets will be in YOUR name at Will Call and you will have to show ID!
• You must be 18 years old or older. Sorry.
• By entering, you agree to hold Absolute Michigan and GM Next harmless for anything that might happen to you in the course of your festival experience. Except of course fun. You can totally hold us responsible for that!

The Grand by suesue2

The Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference is underway on Mackinac Island. Detroit's WWJ News Radio is providing live audio coverage and podcasts of the Conference, which will include speeches and interviews with Gov. Granholm, Lou Glazer of Michigan Future Inc. (check out his "Cutting through the fluff" interview), Center for Michigan founder Phil Power, Joe Schwarz, James Croce of Next Energy, Jack Lessenberry, Tim Skubick and others who will analyze the upcoming elections and a collection of Michigan legislators who will discuss "Moving Michigan Forward ".

One of the new twists this year with be a "Fusion Track", designed to give young professional an opportunity to share their ideas for transforming Detroit and the state. This is driven by Fusion, a Detroit Chamber convened group of young professionals who have been brainstorming ways to attract young people to metro Detroit. From the Freep:

"We've seen what we like in other places, what works in other places, what attracts young professionals to other cities and states. We want to bring some of that here to Michigan," said Markeisha Miner, an attorney at Dickinson Wright in Detroit who is a member of Fusion and plans to attend the conference.

Find a good story or blog about the conference or have an observation? Post it below!

There's pretty much zero chance that I'm NOT going to post a link to an article titled "Proton beam group forms". More here.

The photo is Attacked by a lamp post (150) by caterpillars. It's part of her Detroit show. Yow.