Michigan is known for manufacturing. It’s what we do here! So we probably pay a little more attention to manufacturing and other related topics than most other states. One of the biggest parts of manufacturing is the energy it takes to get the job done, so we also pay attention to various energy things, too. And on that front, we have a lot of news, so let’s dig in!
Here are Five Fast Facts on Michigan’s energy jobs front:
- 💧 New Hydro Jobs - Gov. Whitmer recently announced more big projects coming to Michigan, including a new hydrogen gigafactory that will create 517 jobs. We love new jobs!
- 📈 The Trend Continues - This reinforces the trend that Michigan is not only big in manufacturing, but also energy. The state saw almost 5% growth in clean energy and transportation jobs last year, and that is expected to grow even more this year. It’s the fastest growing sector in the state!
- ⚠️ Proceed With Caution - Sadly, it’s not all puppies and rainbows. There are concerns with the push toward clean energy, at least in terms of forcing it as a replacement for fossil fuels through legislation. Germany did it and is now paying 40% higher energy costs across the country. Almost 80% of the businesses there said energy and raw materials were their biggest problems, and 25% of those businesses are looking to leave the country. California has adopted similar policies, and energy costs there are some of the highest in America (businesses are leaving there, too). Also important is the fact that an EV takes 30% less labor to build than a gas-powered car, so that means fewer jobs in auto manufacturing if everything goes electric.
- 🌎 Do It For The Planet…? - Some argue higher energy costs are acceptable to save the planet. That’s a fair concept to debate, but it’s a concept without a basis in fact because eliminating 100% of America’s greenhouse gas emissions would only reduce temperatures by 0.2 degrees Celsius over the next 80 years. Eliminating 100% of Michigan’s emissions would reduce by only 0.0042 degrees…but it would likely devastate the state’s manufacturing industry and drive energy costs through the roof for Michigan families. And, using the same amount of the key minerals in one EV, you can build 90 hybrids, which combined will remove 35 times the amount of carbon from the atmosphere each year compared to one EV. Seems like the planet might prefer to avoid EVs after all…
- ❗❗ Seeing Red - The other problem with going all-in on clean energy power is that China holds 85% of the global supply of the minerals needed for clean energy things like EVs. Right now, they can ship their stuff to Mexico for free and then bring them into the US for just a 2.5% tariff. That means their clean energy things are far cheaper than what we can make here at home, which means once again, we will lose jobs (or they may just move away from Michigan).
🔥Bottom line: Look, we’re always glad to see more good jobs coming into the state, and we celebrate that every time it happens! But we need to have a bigger view in mind, too. Is this move toward clean energy really the best thing for our families, our state, and the planet at large? It’s not as simple as it might seem, and we need to dig past the surface to make sure we know what we’re getting into.
What do you think about clean energy?
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