Wind turbines spin on this farm near Ithaca in mid-Michigan.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

LANSING--A grant of nearly $300,000 to Lawrence Technological University’s Centrepolis Accelerator and another grant of nearly $112,000 to the University of Michigan’s Economic Growth Institute has produced a new online database of Michigan’s key renewable energy resources for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy/

For geothermal, solar, and wind energy, 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 web pages ares 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 EGLE’s  Clean Energy Asset Roadmap Program (CEARP). 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:

• Geothermal Roadmap
• Solar Roadmap
• Wind Roadmap

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.