A new Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) webpage serves up the latest details about three of the state's key renewable energy sources: geothermal, solar, and wind.
For each source, the Clean Energy Assets page features a "roadmap" report focusing on demand, supply and value chains, workforce, growth, and recommendations. These roadmaps offer strategic guidance for economic development efforts to accelerate innovation and commercial activity and are expected to help set priorities, allocate resources, align stakeholders, and focus efforts statewide.
The webpage is intended for use by elected officials, government employees, business owners, planners, developers, industry and commercial stakeholders, and the public. It soon will add a database of clean energy technological assets and suppliers, with information including:
- Which businesses have considered renewable and clean-energy technologies in their facilities.
- Geographic locations of businesses providing technical resources for renewable and clean energy.
Renewable and clean-energy industries represent a multibillion-dollar economic opportunity for Michigan. They also align with the state's obligation within the U.S. Climate Alliance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and with MI Healthy Climate Plan goals for a prosperous, equitable, carbon-neutral state economy by 2050.
The roadmaps are the product of the state's Clean Energy Asset Roadmap Program (CEARP). In 2021, EGLE announced nearly $412,000 in CEARP grants to two recipients: Lawrence Technological University, whose Centrepolis Accelerator received $299,965 to develop a renewable energy asset roadmap and a geothermal asset roadmap; and the University of Michigan, whose Economic Growth Institute received $111,950 to develop a clean-energy technology development roadmap.
The roadmaps aim to quantify or map each energy sector and identify, evaluate, and detail opportunities to significantly speed their growth. They focus specifically on industry and manufacturing adopting clean-energy technologies and techniques in energy production and energy efficiency. Each roadmap is available for download:
Industry roadmaps provide strategic guidance for economic development efforts to accelerate innovation and commercial activity and are a dynamic tool for setting priorities, allocating resources, aligning stakeholders, and focusing efforts. Findings will supply EGLE and the Council on Climate Solutions with critical information to support statewide strategy for decarbonization.
Learn more by registering for the following webinars:
- Renewable Energy (geothermal, solar, wind) Webinar, 11 a.m. Feb. 28.
- Clean Energy Technology Development Webinar, 11 a.m. March 2.
