We’re excited about the launch of the national business organization Advanced Energy Economy! Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) is a growing network of regional business councils and partner organizations promoting a better business climate for the advanced energy sector and helping American companies and workers succeed as the world transition’s to Advanced Energy. A little from…
TESTIMONY FOR THE SENATE ENERGY AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE On the REVIEW OF PUBLIC ACT 295 OF 2008 by Martin Kushler, Ph.D. Senior Fellow American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) (October 2011) Thank-you for the opportunity to testify on this important subject. My name is Dr. Martin Kushler, and I am a Senior Fellow with…
I am Douglas Jester, a senior consultant with 5 Lakes Energy, LLC. 5 Lakes Energy is a Michigan-based consultancy that works principally with manufacturers of renewable energy and energy efficiency products and with technologists developing capabilities for such products. I wish to speak briefly today in support of the renewable energy requirements of PA 295…
Michigan is facing the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in low-income heating bill assistance this coming winter. There are two primary buckets of funding that help people with their heating bills. One is a state funding source referred to as LIEEF and the other is a federal funding source called LIHEAP. The state…
I know you don’t like reading MPSC cases so I took the liberty of doing it for you. And I found a pretty astonishing fact. Detroit Edison was approved in August to contract for a new 120 MW wind farm called Tuscola Bay Wind where the wind energy will cost… wait for it… 6 CENTS!!…
It was intended to be a trip across Lake Michigan, not around Lake Michigan, but what can you do when the ferry loses an engine? Here’s Jolt with the kids at my parent’s lakehouse south of Harbor Beach, MI on Lake Huron. We drove from the east side of the Thumb to the Mackinac Bridge…
I think about renewable energy and energy efficiency a lot. One of the more common myths of renewables that I hear when talking to my friends, family, and neighbors is that renewable energy costs more than “regular” energy. Let’s start with “regular” energy. I’m guessing when people say “regular” energy they mean coal. And it…
Those of you who are Jon Stewart watchers probably remember his recap of the past presidents’ commitments to develop an energy policy in the US. But seriously, if not now, when? We are seeing renewed discussion in the Senate on ethanol subsidies, the debate on offshore oil drilling is a constant background drum, the fraking needed…
The boys and I took the Volt to the Thumb this week for my Grandma’s 84th birthday party. It was a blast (more here at my Mom’s blog). It was hot (thanks, Michigan, for the almost 50 degree weather swing this week) and the wind was blowing in Pigeon. I charged the car at my…
Check out this link on http://www.youtube.com/axystechnologiesinc the AXYS buoy that will be deployed on Lake Michigan in the fall. The Michigan project is under GVSU’s MI Alternative & Renewable Energy Center. Here’s a good story on the recent permitting successes. http://www.grandhaventribune.com/content/gvsu-acquire-offshore-wind-data-collecting-buoy