The Pew Charitable Trusts has announced that former Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm will serve as a senior adviser in its efforts to promote clean energy policies that create jobs, stimulate innovation, spur investment and enhance U.S. competitiveness in the global clean energy race.
Granholm will travel the country to demonstrate the economic opportunities of advancing policies that make cars cleaner, industry more efficient and renewable energy more accessible and affordable.
‘Governor Granholm has a demonstrated track record in growing the clean energy economy in the U.S.,’ says Joshua Reichert, managing director of The Pew Environment Group. ‘During her eight years as governor of Michigan, she pioneered some of the most compelling clean energy policies in the nation, working with business and labor, Republicans and Democrats, to create new economic opportunities for the state.’
Granholm, together with Pew staff, will meet with clean energy start-ups, research facilities, entrepreneurs, manufacturing plants, elected officials and community partners around the country to discuss possibilities for job creation, manufacturing and exports. They will explore the role policy can play in increasing demand and spurring investment in the sector, which is marked by rapid growth and fierce international competition.
The first stop in April will be Arkansas, where clean energy jobs grew by nearly 8% from 1998 to 2007. The state also attracted close to $23 million in venture capital funds, according to research by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
SOURCE: The Pew Charitable Trusts
