New This Year: Digitally Interactive
Michigan Land & Prosperity Summit
 
"Building a Michigan Prosperity Network" is the focus of the Michigan Land & Prosperity Summit, slated for April 14-15, 2009, at the Lansing Center in Lansing. The goal of the Summit is to inspire collaboration across Michigan to achieve prosperity in the New Economy. The two-day event includes a "Resource Day" (April 14), hosted by the Land Policy Institute, and an "Action Day" (April 15), hosted by LPI and the Michigan Land Use Funders.
 
This summit on the New Economy will also practice what it extols by encouraging attendees to "interact digitally" through Twitter, Facebook, blogging and other social media. Attendees are encouraged to bring laptop computers and personal devices to "tweet" during the Summit. 
 
Follow the Land Policy Institute's Twitter page, or search for us by #tag at #msulpi. Be sure to become a "Fan" of LPI and/or look for LPI's Facebook page, which also provides background information on the Summit, opportunities to post comments, and multi-media resources of the event.
 
The Institute will also make the Summit available virtually. Presentations and audio, video blogs and other content will be posted on the LPI website. Look for updates as well on our Facebook page.
 
Online registration is now closed. However, walk-ins are welcome for either or both days. Cost to attend is $50 per day or $90 for both days, with a student rate of $20 per day.
 
Learn more at Michigan Land & Prosperity Summit.
 
 
Job Creation, Energy Security,

Renewable Energy Focus of Last Week's

LPI Sponsored Feed-in Tariffs Forum

On April 11, 2009, the World Future Council, in conjunction with the Land Policy Institute and Michigan Policy Leaders held the "Feed-in Tariffs: The Most Effective Policy Option for Achieving Job Creation, Energy Security and the Rapid Deployment of Renewable Energy" legislative luncheon to inform Michigan policy makers on the options for employing a Feed-in Tariff system to encourage renewable energy development in Michigan. This event was hosted by Rep. Lee Gonzales (District 49, Flint Area) and Rep. Mary Valentine (District 91, Muskegon Area).
 
Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) are a system of surcharges on electricity that create a pool of resources to help finance and implement renewable energy projects. The Luncheon Briefing, sponsored by LPI, focused on the significant potential of FITs in supporting industrial development in the renewable energy sector. Participants discussed policies to stimulate investment in renewable energy, to increase job creation and energy security in Michigan.
 
"With our unemployment rate at 12%, Michigan needs to move fast on good ideas to diversify our economy and create new good-paying jobs," said Rep. Gonzales, who recently sponsored a plan to provide tax credits to companies producing advanced battery technologies, such as those found in electric vehicles. "By embracing fast-growing industries like renewable energy, we're positioning Michigan to be a leader in high-tech jobs. I'd like to thank those who took the time to share their expertise on this important issue." 
 
Building on Gov. Jennifer Granholm's Priorities for Michigan's Economic Future, this event provided first-hand experiences from other states and European countries, including Germany. This event, which brought national and international expertise to Lansing, featured: Pail Gipe from Wind Works; Dr. Subhendu, President of United Solar Voltaic; Toby Couture from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; and Bianca Barth from the World Future Council in Berlin. Presentations from this event are available for download at Feed-in Tariffs Forum.
 
This event is a starting point for discussions on FITs in Michigan and to help facilitate that discussion LPI has posted a discussion in the Ask the Expert Forums where leaders on the issue can continue a dialogue with decision makers and stakeholders. If you are interested in this issue and would like to comment or ask questions, please post your questions or comments on the forum.
 
Michigan Now's Chris McCarus was also on hand to cover the event. Listen in to his radio report at International Feed-in Tariff Experts at Capitol.
 
 
Funded by LPI

Hear the Latest Michigan Now Reports:
 
Making Windmills in Manistee
Auto part suppliers are retooling for alternative energy products. They can make what people need, and use the same tools, materials, workers and factories; just make different stuff. (Note: No one is saying all the old auto jobs can be replaced with solar panel and windmill jobs, but innovation can open up lots of doors.) Michigan Now's Chris McCarus went up north to see a company making a 30-foot-tall windmill that costs $6,500.
 
Escanaba Man Off-Grid If He Wants Net Metering
Imagine every homeowner with windmills and solar panels. It could avoid power outages, cut down on pollution and maybe even save money. A small but unknown number of Michiganders are doing this right now, and they've received help from the State. Last month, new state rules went into effect for something called net metering. Michigan Now's Chris McCarus visited a man who's taking advantage of it.
 
The Heidelberg Project: Art from Discarded Junk
With Michigan State playing in the Final Four, even sports reporters have been sounding like political analysts. The Spartans played for Detroit, they said . . . a City on its knees. But some things in the Detroit break the stereotypes, like the Heidelberg Project. It's blow-your-mind positive and anyone who visits it says "wow, this is cool," including Michigan Now's Chris McCarus.
 
Listen in at Michigan Now (click on "Story Archives"). Michigan Now is supported by the Land Policy Institute, Michigan State Housing Development Authority and Issue Media Group.
 
 
Check out the LPI website for more LPI in Action news.