| Nolan Finley thinks that opposition to expansion of Karn-Weadock and the Rogers City coal plants is some plot by the governor to promote green energy. No, I'm not kidding: Construction of the coal-fired power plants would create thousands of jobs. But environmentalists have prevailed on Gov. Jennifer Granholm to halt the projects on the premise that Michigan doesn't need the increased electricity production. The governor's rejection of the plants is part of her strategy to revive Michigan with green jobs. But she can't point to actual jobs anytime soon.
Here are your two choices, Finley says ... either you can have real work by real men doing things of substance right now, or you can have potential work done sometime in the future, maybe. No other option is offered; no other option is explored. We know this to be a false choice. We know it because the news has been filled these last two years with stories of actual clean energy jobs. USO's expansion to Greenville. Hemlock Semiconductor's expansion. Dow's successes in clean energy that this week produced the announcement that photovoltaic shingles will soon be on the market. This week's announcement of a new photovoltaic facility to be manufactured in Saginaw County (who does Finley believe will build such a thing? Eco-fairies?), and the Wixom energy park promise actual jobs in the very near future. This ignores other, smaller manufacturers who build either components for green energy, or fabricate machinery for green energy manufacturers. It also ignores research dollars, and people working in sales. On the other hand, there are very real questions of job creation even if these two plants get permitting, or whether the jobs created will be at an acceptable hike to electricity rates to customers. As has been noted, financing for coal plants is difficult to come by, and it has already scotched at least one coal plant proposed for Michigan. And, as has been noted, it is not environmentalists who have convinced the governor that the electricity generated by these two plants is not necessary. That was the Michigan Public Service Commission, which was asked to study it. It's just that the results are not palatable to the political supporters of these two plants. |
