News from the Network
- Thanks to U-M Master's Project Group!
- April Conference Call: Town-Gown Partnerships
- Resources from March Recycling Call
- MGC Mentioned in Entrepreneurship Scorecard
Resources
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New Report on Local Energy Planning
- Provide Input on Electric Vehicle Plan
Community News
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Grandville’s Clean Water Plant is a Finalist in 'Race for the Cup'
- Michigan Ranks 12th in Green Jobs
- Federal Government, 5 States Put Wind Farms on Fast Track
- Ferndale Selected for BetterBuildings Program's Energy Efficiency Incentives
- Bay County to Host Electronics Recycling Event for Earth Day
Thanks to U-M Master's Project Group!
Michigan Green Communities has been lucky to have a team of MS students from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment working with the network this year. The team has helped update the challenge, organize regional workshops, and conduct an energy analysis in Wyandotte and Holland. Many thanks to Andrew, Antonia, Ben, Courtney, and Seth for all of your work!
The group will present their projects and findings during the SNRE Master’s Project Symposium
Date: Friday, April 13, 2012
Time: 9:20 - 10AM
Location: Room 1040 (Main Lecture Hall)
University of Michigan, SNRE, Dana Building
440 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
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April Conference Call: Town-Gown Partnerships
Wednesday, April 18
10 am
Call in: 734-794-6099
Bridge: 43720
The April call will focus on local partnerships between communities and colleges and universities to promote sustainability. During the call, participants will have a chance to ask questions and share updates from their communities.
Resources Available from March Recycling Call
Notes and presentation slides from the March Conference Call are available in the MichEEN group. On the March call, Elisa Seltzer presented about Emmet County’s recycling programs and Kerrin O’Brien presented about the Michigan Recycling Coalition.
MGC Mentioned in Entrepreneurship Scorecard
The Small Business Association of Michigan just released their new Entrepreneurship Scorecard, which tracks Michigan’s progress towards the goal of creating a better environment for small businesses. The report highlights Michigan Green Communities on page 140 as a crucial effort to promote a clean and green economy.
New Report on Local Energy Planning
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released a new report, “Local Energy Planning in Practice: A Review of Recent Experiences.” While some local governments are still just testing the waters of energy efficiency, many others have decided to dive in head first. The recent proliferation of local energy efficiency planning provides an opportunity to achieve considerable energy savings, save money, create jobs, and protect the environment. This report looks at the work of local governments who have developed plans to capture these benefits for their communities. Learn more.
Provide Input on Electric Vehicle Plan
There’s a statewide initiative to help communities plan for a transition to electric and other alternative-fuel vehicles underway. One of the goals of this plan, the Plug-In Ready Michigan Plan, is to provide local governments with the necessary tools and resources to begin including electric vehicle charging stations in public and private parking spaces. Local government officials and staff are critical to this effort and ultimately will be the ones to implement whatever policy and procedures are recommended in the plan. Take this survey to help ensure your voice is heard and help the plan developers better understand your requirements and perspectives on the future of electric vehicle infrastructure in Michigan.
Grandville’s Clean Water Plant is a Finalist in 'Race for the Cup'
A $23 million expansion of Grandville’s clean water plant has been named a finalist in the Michigan Municipal League’s annual 'Race for the Cup.' The plant now includes an egg-shaped anaerobic digester that turns biosolids filtered out of the wastewater into fertilizer that gets delivered to area farms. The process also generates methane gas that will be used to power and heat parts of the plant. Read more.
Michigan Ranks 12th in Green Jobs
The federal government's first estimate of who has the largest number of green jobs shows Michigan ranked No. 12 among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. In 2010, nearly 80,000 Michiganders or 2.1% of the state's total employment worked at businesses that produced goods or provided services that benefited the environment or conserved natural resources, according to new data recently released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Read more.
Federal Government, 5 States Put Wind Farms on Fast Track
The Obama administration and five states, including Michigan, announced an agreement to speed up consideration of plans for offshore wind farms in the Great Lakes, which were delayed by cost concerns and public opposition. Under the deal, state and federal agencies will craft a blueprint for speeding regulatory review of proposed wind farms without sacrificing environmental and safety standards. The Great Lakes have no offshore wind turbines, though a Cleveland partnership announced plans last year for a demonstration project that would place five to seven turbines in Lake Erie about 7 miles north of the city, generating 20-30 megawatts of electricity. Read more.
Ferndale Selected for BetterBuildings Program's Energy Efficiency Incentives
After making for a successful pilot program for residential areas, Ferndale will be one of the seven cities in Metro Detroit to enter into the second phase of BetterBuildings for Michigan. City Council agreed to participate in the program that is run by the Southeast Regional Energy Office of Michigan and offers incentives to reduce energy use in buildings and homes. Read more.
Bay County to Host Electronics Recycling Event for Earth Day
The Bay County Electronics/Recycling Drop Off Event will take place Saturday, April 14, 2012, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Bay County Fairgrounds, 800 Livingston Street, Bay City, Michigan 48708. All equipment will be recycled properly. No equipment will go into a landfill. There is no fee for most items. Read more.
Have a story you’d like to share? Email Laura (lmatson@a2gov.org) with press releases and news items to include in the next newsletter.
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About Michigan Green Communities
Michigan Green Communities is a network of local government and university staff in the state of Michigan that collaborate with one another, through peer learning and information sharing, to promote innovative solutions and move sustainability initiatives forward at the local, regional, and state level.
For questions or more information about MGC, contact Jamie Kidwell (jkidwell@a2gov.org), Luke Forrest (lforrest@mml.org), or Laura Matson (lmatson@a2gov.org).
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