ELPC’s Howard Learner joined E&E TV to discuss how wind and solar power are helping revitalize the Midwest’s manufacturing sector. Read ELPC’s clean energy supply chain reports.

]]> http://elpc.org/2011/03/18/the-impact-of-japanese-nuclear-crisis-on-the-midwest/feed 0 http://elpc.org/2011/02/16/michigans-electric-car-revolution http://elpc.org/2011/02/16/michigans-electric-car-revolution#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2011 19:40:34 +0000 HLearner http://elpc.org/?p=5202 Michigan’s electric car revolution has arrived!

With cars like the Chevy Volt and Ford Focus, consumers and professionals agree that now is the time for these vehicles to retake the American market. But only through supporting consumer incentives and infrastructure modernization will customer demand for these Michigan manufactured cars grow. The video below features ELPC Policy Advocate, Madeleine Weil, explaining the need for legislative action in order to galvanize this demand.

ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner discussed the Midwest role in the climate debate on E&E TV’s On Point.  The Midwest has the potential to be a big part of the solution and through its key swing votes, is playing a critical role in the Senate debate.  Watch the interview here.

Click here to hear the podcast.

Click here to download PDF slides from the webinar.

Price shifts, market changes and supportive policies are coming together in ways that can help solar power accelerate fast around the region. The economics of solar power are becoming more favorable due to a confluence of factors:

• Solar photovoltaic (PV) module prices have fallen sharply due to excess supply in the global market.
• Federal and state policies are working to support solar power. The federal economic stimulus legislation and other initiatives are providing new incentives and support for solar energy development. In the states, for example, Illinois has created a “solar carve out” in the state’s strong renewable energy standard that will provide a procurement market for 700-750 megawatts of solar power by 2015.
• Large-scale solar developments are going forward on former industrial sites where there is unobstructed sunlight and low-cost access to the electrical grid. In some cases, brownfield redevelopment, recovery bonds and other tax credits and subsidies are available.
• In the current economic downturn, there are skilled workers looking for “green jobs” installing solar systems.

This vision, shared by ELPC and many of our allies, is quickly coming into focus.

Explore the items below to learn more:

Watch video highlights from the evening program

View a photo slideshow from the celebration

Check out our interactive high-speed rail story

Download a special high-speed rail publication

Vision to Reality: Getting Onboard Midwest High Speed Rail from gwstv on Vimeo.

This interactive online presentation, displayed at the event, features images, maps, and facts highlighting the need for a Midwest High-Speed Rail Network. Click here to view

Learn how ELPC’s and our allies’ many years of hard work are making the difference in the fight to turn the vision of a regional high-speed rail network into a reality for all Midwesterners. Click here to download the PDF

On Monday, August 24th, this federal funding cycle began in earnest when states were required to submit their bids for the first round of funding.  The states involved in the Midwest high-speed rail network are coordinating their bids for federal funding as a result of an agreement reached in late July by each of the states’ governors and Chicago Mayor Daley.

ELPC hosted a special webinar on September 1st on high-speed rail development featuring ELPC Executive Director Howard Learner and Deputy Director Kevin Brubaker.  You can watch and listen to the briefing below to learn what’s at stake in the initial cycle of federal funding for high-speed rail, including a summary of the proposed Midwest high-speed rail projects and what to expect as we move closer to realizing our goal of high-speed rail in the Midwest.

Watch and listen to a podcast of the webinar.

Slides from the webinar also are available for download here [pdf file].

Learn more about ELPC’s efforts to bring high speed rail to the Midwest here.