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NextEnergy Drives AET Investment and Jobs in Michigan

Survey Results Show Alternative Energy Jobs, Investment On Rise In State With NextEnergy’s Help

By Dan Radomski,
Vice President
and Director of Industry Services
NextEnergy

Since its inception, NextEnergy, a non-profit organization, has sought, through our Industry Services division, to refocus Michigan’s existing industries to support Alternative Energy Technology business growth. We have been extremely fortunate to have the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) assist us with these efforts.

The MEDC has been a stalwart supporter of NextEnergy and together the two organizations have teamed up create substantial opportunities through which Michigan workers have begun to penetrate the global alternative energy industry. NextEnergy has just completed a comprehensive survey regarding this effort and have significant results to report to you and our other stakeholders. Here are representative survey results and facts pertaining to NextEnergy’s recent efforts, with considerable and continuing help from the MEDC, to diversify manufacturing output in Michigan to encompass Alternative Energy Technology.

NextEnergy’s Michigan Wind Manufacturers Working Group has grown to more than 300 members, while our Hydraulic Hybrid Working Group (power train development) has grown to approximately 60 members, and NextEnergy has facilitated over 100 private meetings and introductions between Michigan suppliers and out-of-state OEMs in the following industries: Wind, Solar, and Biofuels.

While working with global alternative energy based OEMs (including major wind OEMs such as GE, Vestas, Clipper, Nordex, Siemens and Acciona) to diversify Michigan’s manufacturing base, NextEnergy has acquired multiple long term industry-funded consulting contacts that permit us to help diversify dozens of Michigan companies into AET. According to the recent survey issued by NextEnergy to more than 800 Michigan suppliers, 55 suppliers have invested a total of $8.5 million in expanding their Michigan workforces or facilities. They credit NextEnergy’s alternative energy customer connections and company introductions with the opportunity to quote $1.5 billion in new orders and securing $377 million in new orders, while adding or retaining 1,145 employees.

NextEnergy has hosted nine educational and matchmaking events for Michigan based suppliers, with total attendance exceeding 500 across the state (Oakland County, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Manistee) with the following OEMs in attendance:

Clipper Windpower
Infinia Corp.
Tesla Motors
UniSolar Ovonics
Soliant
Granger
Chrysler Corp/
GE
Siemens
Acciona
Heron Manufacturing
Nordic Windpower

At NextEnergy, we consider these results (and others too lengthy to fit into this space) positive and indicative of a good start. With continuing help from the MEDC and other vital supporters, such as readers and stakeholders like yourselves, we plan to achieve much more, and our vision of the road ahead is clear.

Michigan is primed and ready to achieve stunning growth in Alternative Energy Technology. We at NextEnergy work every day to speed that process responsibly. Please visit our new, comprehensive, and redesigned Web site at www.nextenergy.org to learn much, much more. You can also use the Web site to register your own company or universities with which you interact.

The new Web site has been designed to expand our state’s alternative energy network almost exponentially, and the more information you can provide to the network the better. So visit, explore, and by all means use nextenergy.org. It was built for you.

NextEnergy paid for placement of this article. Its views do not necessarily reflect those of WWJ Newsradio 950 or CBS Radio.

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