2009 Chair’s Agenda

Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm’s agenda as the 2009 MGA Chair, Creating Jobs in the New Energy Economy, focused on attracting new jobs to the Midwest and implementing the proper workforce development tools to make the new energy economy a sustainable industry for the future.

Governor Granholm’s agenda built on several key strengths: a burgeoning biofuels industry; a manufacturing core to produce renewable energy infrastructure such as wind turbines and solar panels; vast coal reserves for advanced coal power plants; and significant underground storage potential for carbon captured from factories and power plants.

The agenda was spearheaded by an advisory group comprised of regional economic development, investment and workforce leaders from the private and public sectors. Building on existing workforce development efforts, the group also assessed the skills and training needed to put people to work in the green economy and developed specific recommendations to help meet new energy demands and put people back to work.

To highlight the region’s efforts, Governor Granholm hosted the MGA’s Jobs and Energy Forum in October 2009. At the forum, the MGA released three new documents that built off the earlier energy work, including:

Platform for Creating and Retaining Midwestern Jobs in the New Energy Economy
Midwestern Energy Infrastructure Accord
Midwestern Energy Security and Climate Stewardship Roadmap: Advisory Group Recommendations