Michigan renewable energy grows

First it was cars. Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" brand signaled an auto industry resurgence that again revved the engines of the Motor City.

But Michigan also has begun to produce high-quality and affordable renewable energy. According to a new poll, 79 percent of midwestern business owners believe renewable energy will help their businesses; 73 percent want to utilize renewables more in the future. Among them are many in Michigan.

Businesses such as Detroit Renewable Energy have attracted $50 million in new investments to the city, while its independent subsidiaries daily process up to 3,300 tons of waste and produce more than 9 billion kilowatt hours of energy.

Businesses such as Altronics Energy added 90 jobs in Grand Rapids the past three years. And focusing on Michigan-based wind farms, Heritage Sustainable Energy built three sites since 2004 — including the Thumb's Big Turtle Wind Farm — that produce 108 megawatts of electricity.

Going green is increasingly affordable. Average residential and commercial installation costs of solar panels have dropped more than 35 percent since 2010. Prices for harvesting wind energy have fallen sharply by 43 percent. Now sustainable hydropower is the nation's cheapest electricity-producing method.

Our local businessmen and women are deeply invested in these cost-effective, sustainable resources. What makes Michigan renewable energy particularly viable is our state's sheer diversity of renewables.

For example, 40 wind manufacturing facilities already exist in Michigan and employ nearly 4,000 direct and indirect jobs. Biomass plants, which utilize waste bio-products for generating electrical energy, offer more than 1,000 good-paying jobs while injecting more than $68 million of private investment into northern Michigan every year.

Hydropower lights more than 159,000 Michigan households — nearly equivalent to powering every house in the Blue Water Area. More than 82,633 people work in Michigan green goods and service jobs, and the industry touts nearly $1 billion in asset investment, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

General Motors has two of the world's five-largest rooftop solar arrays. Chrysler equipped more than 30 dealerships with solar panels to maximize energy efficiency and pass along savings to customers. Ford was ranked the world's best global green brand this year.

Renewable energy is a Pure Michigan product we can proudly say is "Imported from Detroit."

Paul Muxlow represents the 83rd District of the Michigan House.