If Ontario Canada can do it, why can't Michigan ???

[Motown_Johnny]

I can see wind towers from near my house. Unfortunately I need to look across an international boarder to see them.

Now there is another announcement about more wind farms right across the boarder.

I thought we were supposed to be investing in this type of thing on this side of the boarder. We sure could use the manufacturing jobs around here and there are plenty of factories around that could be re-purposed for it.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/windsor/story/2010/12/01/wdr-samsung-announcement.html



^snip^



Samsung C&T Corporation and the Ontario government announced plans Wednesday to open a wind turbine factory in Windsor, Ont., and create 300 manufacturing jobs along with 400 indirect construction and service jobs.




"We are putting down the base, the footprint, of a new industry," said Windsor-St. Clair MPP Dwight Duncan.

The new plant will be built and run by an Ontario-based subsidiary of CS Wind. Samsung officials said they will be hiring welders, painters and machinists who will earn wages in the range of $18 to $20 an hour. The facility is expected to produce 200 to 300 towers per year starting in September 2011. The towers will be produced using 200,000 tonnes of domestic steel worth $140 million.







It sure does suck seeing this happening in direct line of sight of where we all could use something similar. If it works on that side of the boarder it should work on this side too,

[Taverner]

1. It's the teabag slivers in the body politic

Nothing but removal will fix that problem

[applegrove]

2. You have to ask why? Why is ontario more competative than detroit. Is it Canada's good

health care? I would like to know.

[Motown_Johnny]

4. If wind power can be profitable over there I think

it can be profitable over here too.

I can see the damn things across the river. They get the same wind we do.




But, Yes. The lower health care costs for companies over there have been costing us jobs on this side for years. I know that is part of the problem but I don't think it is insurmountable.


If a utility company could get enough federal loans and/or stimulus money to just build their own wind towers and put them up they could then sell the power. The building of the towers would not need to be very profitable because they would be selling them to themselves. The real money can be in the selling of the power.

Cutting one level of profit making out of the loop could help us be more competitive.

[RandySF]

3. It's cars, baby!!

Michigan Democrats are wedded to cars and Republicans just want small shops. Neither party wants to move into the future.

[Motown_Johnny]

5. Kicking my own thread due to new information from another thread

(I love this place)




This thread

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x65749



contained this link

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-12-24-tax-bill_N.htm


^snip^

New tax law packed with obscure business tax cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — The massive new tax bill signed into law by President Barack Obama is filled with all kinds of holiday stocking stuffers for businesses: tax breaks for producing TV shows, grants for putting up windmills, rum subsidies for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands





Any idea how to apply for one (or more) of these grants?

[MadMaddie]

7. Bingo!

Don't forget High Speed Rail which is being shot down by Republican Governers left and right. Thousands of jobs shut down, we have to make sure the citizens know why the jobs are coming to their regions.

[marmar]

6. Seems to be starting, in earnest......

from the Detroit Free Press:



In a major boost for Michigan's emerging wind-energy industry, Gov. Jennifer Granholm plans to announce today that the state has attracted its first large wind turbine assembly plant.

Northern Power Systems of Barre, Vt., intends to use a facility in Saginaw to manufacture its next-generation large wind turbines, expected to be the first ones built in the U.S. using 100% American-made parts. Plans call for sourcing as many parts as possible from Michigan companies.

Economic development officials have long sought to bring large turbine manufacturing to Michigan in order to increase opportunities for the state's more than 100 wind turbine parts makers, many of whom are auto suppliers looking to diversify.

Northern Power already has a deal to supply 13 of the turbines for a Heritage Sustainable Energy wind farm near Escanaba that will supply power to Consumers Energy, state officials said. ..........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20101207/BUSINESS06/12070343/1318/Good-news-blows-into-Michigan-State-gets-wind-turbine-plant