May 16, 2008
LANSING - Lt. Governor John D. Cherry Jr. today said Michigan is making progress in laying the groundwork for growing the state's alternative energy industry to diversify the economy and grow jobs. Cherry made his remarks in delivering this week's radio address on behalf of Governor Granholm.
"Michigan is the state that put the world on wheels, and we can be the state that leads the way in using alternative energy sources to fuel our cars and power our homes," Cherry said.
Cherry cited two major examples of business and local units of government stepping up and embracing the alternative energy industry this week. The city of Flint and alternative energy leader Swedish Biogas International are undertaking a project to produce biogas from waste removed from Flint's wastewater treatment plant; and the pioneering Ann Arbor-based Adaptive Materials Inc., the world leader in fuel cell development is expanding its business through a loan from the state's 21st Century Jobs Fund.
"The mission of the Granholm administration continues to be all about bringing jobs to Michigan - we continue to work day-in and day-out, talking to companies and creating opportunities for businesses to expand and grow jobs here," Cherry said.
The governor's weekly radio address is released each Friday morning and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state. The address is available on the governor's Web site at
www.michigan.gov/gov
for download, together with a clip of the quote above. The radio address is also available as a podcast on the Web site, as well as on iTunes and via RSS feed for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers. Links to the audio files and text of today's address follow:
Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr.
Radio Address - Alternative Energy
May 16, 2008
This is Lt. Governor John Cherry speaking to you this week on behalf of Governor Jennifer Granholm about an issue that is at the core of our plan to grow Michigan's economy and create jobs: alternative energy.
Michigan is the state that put the world on wheels, and we can be the state that leads the way in using alternative energy sources to fuel our cars and power our homes.
This week, we took a major step forward in this effort when we announced that the city of Flint and alternative energy leader Swedish Biogas International will undertake a project to produce biogas - an alternative energy that can fuel cars and generate heat and electricity - from the waste removed from Flint's wastewater treatment plant.
This historic partnership will create new jobs and attract business investment to Flint. But just as importantly, this project has enormous potential to perfect technology that reduces our dependence on foreign oil and other fossil fuels by producing alternative fuel for heating and transportation.
This project also lays the groundwork to create a Michigan Center of Energy Excellence, where job-creating alternative energy companies partner directly with our universities to create new products and services. Centers of Excellence accelerate the development of innovative products, bringing them into the marketplace faster.
Another success story is playing out in Ann Arbor. Adaptive Materials Inc. is the recognized world leader in the design and development of portable fuel cell technology.
The company is poised to bring its next generation of portable power sources to market thanks to a loan awarded through our $2 billion 21st Century Jobs Fund.
The U.S. military is the largest purchaser of Adaptive Materials portable fuel cell systems, including hand-held power products our soldiers carry into the field and fuel cells that power aerial vehicles. The company is also working to move its fuel cell system into commercial markets.
In five years, Adaptive Materials has grown from a two-person startup to an operation with dozens of employees, ranging from engineers and scientists to technicians and production specialists. This pioneering company was born in the Great Lakes State, and it will continue to grow and create jobs here thanks to our competitive business climate and our skilled, high-tech workforce.
The mission of the Granholm administration continues to be all about bringing jobs to Michigan - we continue to work day in and day out, talking to companies and creating opportunities for businesses to expand and grow jobs here.
Thank you for listening.
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