Governor Granholm has been pushing alternative energy for about 3 years. Progress has been slow. But on Thursday, at the Ford Wixom plant, she got other people to support her claim that alternative energy will replace autos as Michigan’s main industry. Michigan Now’s Chris McCarus was there.
Rock music blared inside the Ford Wixom plant. It’s the one that used to have the cars up on poles on the roof….right along I-96. Politicians and CEO’s were arriving and scripts were being rehearsed.
“we will diversify this economy. We will lead the nation in creating jobs in renewable and alternative energy. We are not gonna be viewed as Luddites in this state. We’re gonna lead the country. And this is an example of that.”
Governor Jennifer Granholm says federal climate change laws will create demand for environmentally friendly products like solar panels and electric cars. And Michigan is the most obvious place to make them.
“Xtreme Power, and Clairvoyant and Oerlikan will take advantage of the infrastructure that exists here, take advantage of the customer base that exists and of course put people to work. 4,000 jobs to start.”
So what are these products? Xtreme Power CEO Carlos Coe explains. He is based in Texas. But he’s worked for Ford Aerospace and for Whirlpool in Benton Harbor. Coe says they’ll make batteries at the old Ford Wixom plant. He calls them power cells or processors. They’re about 3 foot long and 60 pounds. They’re rectangular boxes that can be stacked together.
“ if you went to your post office box, you took all the doors off your post office box, those power cells fit into slots and we have the ability to put hundreds of thousands of those power cells together to make a storage device. And that’s just one part of the puzzle, the other part is the power electronics, the ability to convert AC, what comes out of the wall, and DC, what comes out of your flashlight, and then convert that power back and forth, and the other part is the ability to control that power and we do that in a way that’s never been done before.”
Storing power immediately in large amounts has been the missing link to wind and solar. If electricity can’t be used or stored when the windmill is turning or the sun is out, then it’s wasted. Carlos Coe says his products will allow companies like Consumers and DTE to avoid building more polluting power plants that cost customers billions of dollars.
“So out of this facility we’ll build the equivalent of 1-2 power plants a year.”
Xtreme will build 2 million of these batteries a year. The Michigan legislature has approved tax credits and even cash for this deal while most of the financing is coming from The Department of Energy. Total investment from atleast 3 different companies is expected to be more than $725 million.
“The other thing about Wixom is we’re gonna build a cradle to grave to cradle process here so all those processors that go out into the field will come back here and be recycled into raw material and be processed and shipped back out.”
“We’re at a unique time in history.”
Jeannine Sargent heads a company called Oerliken. They’ll be working with another Company called Clairvoyant Energy that has been working with General Motors for 5 years.
“It’s not often that the confluence of critical factors come together to offer potential to create new industries and new opportunities. The radical change about how government will support renewable energy projects which is resulting from a drive for energy independence and also to address the effects of global climate change.”
Ford Motor Company Chairman Bill Ford Jr. agrees.
“In fact we believe the best way for us to be more profitable is to make our business and our products more sustainable. Our economic and environmental goals are completely aligned.”
The car companies say they can make money fighting global warming and even some republican politicians like the idea. Mike Bishop is the senate majority leader from Rochester.
“we have as the governor said, seen a rebirth here in this facility. And I want you to know that on behalf of the state senate, we’re very proud to participate in this rebirth.”
No one at the Wixom plant ceremony said that 4,000 jobs will replace the million lost in the last decade. But one CEO did say that this project will make Michigan the silicon valley of alternative energy. The property is 320 acres. And it might cross pollinate with other factories around Michigan. Dr. Suresh Bansal is a retired mechanical engineering professor from Lawrence Tech in Southfield.
“oh this is wonderful what’s happening today. This is the transformation of the industry and the workforce. It’s gonna bring the kind of jobs Michigan needs and the United States needs for the future.”
Bansal would like to see more average people take advantage of feed in tariffs. That’s putting solar panels or windmills on your house and the selling electricity back to the electric company. Consultant Art Mohr says an energy park at the Wixom plant is a good first step.
“I’m very excited to see finally Michigan put a footprint on this industry. I’ve traveled the world watching this industry develop elsewhere.”