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Granholm, Mulhern: Creating a clean energy economy
- Jennifer Granholm and Dan Mulhern talk with Kirk Heinze
By Caitlin Cox
Former Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and her husband Dan Mulhern visit with Kirk Heinze about a national clean energy policy that promotes and funds research and manufacturing for wind, solar and advanced battery industries in the United States.
Life in the gubernatorial office further opened Granholm’s eyes to the economic storm that the United States is experiencing. Part of the issue in maintaining a thriving economy is the lack in a national energy policy and the need for a standard for renewable energy, she says.
As a senior advisor on energy for Pew Charitable Trusts, Granholm promotes clean energy to create jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
“I think that we need to look at all potential sources of domestic energy and obviously, natural gas is a clean form, too,” says Granholm.
“Pew has really been focused on traditional, renewable energy, so the goal with PEW is to get a national renewable energy standard that would require 20 percent of the nation’s energy to come from renewable sources by 2020 or 2025.”
In light of Congress and its current composition, Pew has specific pragmatic policies that it wants to achieve, says Granholm, like one that encourages more industrial energy efficiency by combining heat and power so companies can reuse waste-heat and power.
“Very specific issues that seem to have bipartisan support if broken down bit by bit,” says Granholm.
Also important to Granholm and Mulhern is having more electric vehicles on the road, due to transportation being a huge emitter of greenhouse gases.
“We got our Volt in July and we just love it,” says Mulhern. “We’ve had it for almost three months and Jennifer has filled up the gas tank maybe twice. She’s getting about 150 to 200 miles to the gallon.”
Granholm says there is an advantage in having electric vehicles and energy standards - they can potentially create jobs.
“There is an anticipation that there will be 37 million jobs in clean energy by 2030 globally and the question is where are those jobs going to be?” says Granholm.
“We need to create a uniquely American economic development strategy which is relevant for the 21st century global economy."
Greening of the Great Lakes airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. on News/Talk 760 WJR and around the state on the Michigan Talk Network.
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