LANSING – State Representative Lee Gonzales (D-Flint Township) today hosted a luncheon for energy policy experts at the State Capitol. The meeting focused on ways the state can create jobs through the use of renewable energy via feed-in tariffs.
"With our unemployment rate at 12 percent, Michigan needs to move fast on good ideas to diversify our economy and create new good-paying jobs," said Gonzales, who recently sponsored a plan to provide tax credits to companies producing advanced battery technologies, such as those found in electric vehicles. "By embracing fast-growing industries like renewable energy, we're positioning Michigan to be a leader in high-tech jobs. I'd like to thank those who took the time to share their expertise on this important issue."
The luncheon, hosted by Gonzales and State Representative Mary Valentine (D-Norton Shores), and put together by the World Future Council, brought together minds from both the public and private sector to discuss the future of renewable energy in Michigan and the job-creation promise of feed-in tariffs, which set a guaranteed rate per kilowatt-hour for renewable energy production. These tariffs have promoted aggressive and dramatic growth in Europe's renewable energy sectors.
Headquartered in Germany, the World Future Council campaigns for policies that support the quick deployment of renewable energy. The World Future Council regularly hosts legislators from around the world to demonstrate Germany's success at deploying solar, wind and other renewable energies locally in rural and urban settings across the country.
"Renewable energy will play a significant role in Michigan's economic recovery," said Gonzales, who also has sponsored a plan that will allow homeowners and businesses who produce renewable energy to sell that energy for a profit. "We need to seize the initiative and move quickly to grow this industry right here in Michigan. There are too many potential jobs at stake for us to wait any longer."