SOUTHFIELD—A new map of the renewable energy industry in Michigan will be developed by the Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University under a $299,965.46 grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE).
The Michigan Clean Energy Assets Roadmap (CEARP), to be developed during a 12-month project, will be focused on wind, solar and geothermal products and technologies currently in Michigan, along with supply chain and market analysis. The study will be looking at how these renewable energy systems can help decarbonize the commercial building and manufacturing plant sectors and will propose actions for improving market adoption of renewable energy systems, while optimizing the value chain for economic development benefit.
“The EGLE sponsored Michigan CEARP will focus on opportunities to decarbonize the commercial building and manufacturing facility sectors,” said Dan Radomski, executive director of the Centrepolis Accelerator at LTU. “We will investigate the potential for fuel switching options utilizing renewable energy systems and energy efficiency technologies. The project will also analyze market adoption impediments and supply chain analysis. We have an exceptional, experienced team that will help make insightful recommendations for the state to help us decarbonize commercial buildings and manufacturing facilities in Michigan.”
Partners in the project include the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council (EIBC), a trade association for renewable energy businesses; 5 Lakes Energy LLC, a Lansing-based policy consulting firm offering services in clean energy; SearchLite, an innovation consulting firm with offices in New York, Ann Arbor, and Cleveland; the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA); and the Michigan Geothermal Energy Association.
The Michigan Renewable Energy Roadmap will include a directory that will list Michigan companies offering renewable energy products and services—in solar, wind, and geothermal—and will also evaluate Michigan’s renewable energy value chain. The project supports the work initiated by the existing EGLE Council on Climate Solutions, specifically the Energy Intensive Industries Workgroup.
The findings of this report will provide EGLE and the Council on Climate Solutions with critically needed information to support Michigan’s statewide strategy for the decarbonization of the state’s economy. The project will be guided by Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s Executive Directive 2020-10, which established the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, with an interim goal of 28 percent reduction below 2005 levels in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. This report is intended to provide input to the MI Healthy Climate Plan, outlined in Executive Order 2020-182 and Directive 2020-10.
The Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University is funded by the EGLE; the New Economy Initiative (NEI); the Wells Fargo NREL Innovation Incubator (IN2); the Department of Energy Office of Technology Transitions’ EPIC Prize program; the City of Southfield; Lawrence Technological University; the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC); and the William Davidson Foundation. The Cleantech, Climatech, and Circular Economy technologies (C3) Accelerator is also supported by many strategic partners including Advancing Women in Energy; Bunker Labs; Clean Energy Trust; Michigan Women Forward; Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council; Women in Cleantech & Sustainability; the Michigan Israel Business Accelerator (MIBA); Pure Michigan Business Connect (PMBC); Resource Recycling Systems (RRS); Start-Up Nation Central; and the Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council. More at https://www.centrepolisaccelerator.com/.
Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 100 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.
EGLE Energy Services is committed to promoting healthy communities, economic growth, and environmental sustainability through energy efficiency and renewable energy. It supports businesses and communities by providing educational awareness as well as technical and financial assistance. Energy Services offers a variety of programs each year to catalyze growth and jumpstart Michigan entities in reaching their own energy goals.