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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Monday, March 31, 2008
michigandaily.com
RENEWABLE ENERGY
IN MICHIGAN
First in a three-part series about
making sustainable energy sources a reality
Experts: Wind
energy could
help Michigan
MICHT(AN 9;.NIAG~ARA 1 0 MICIGTAN 2- (!TAR"K(CflT 0
Granholm wants
10 percent of energy to
be renewable by 2015
By ELAINE LAFAY
Daily StaffReporter
After a nearly decade of watching
Michigan's economic woes worsen,
state legislators are looking to use
environmental innovation as a way
to give the state's economy a shot in
the arm.
As a result of the failing auto
industry, the state of Michigan has
lost 20 percent of its manufacturing
jobs since 200L To make up for that
loss, state legislators have repeated-,
ly called for legislation that would
create more jobs in renewable bio-
energy fuels, solar and wind ener-
gy.
University experts agree wind
energyis the mostviable renewable
energy option for Michigan.
The state Senate passed bills last
week calling for state government
buildings to obtain 10 percent of
their electricity from renewable
sources by 2010.
Republican senators, who make
up the majority of the Senate, were
concerned about the high cost
of renewable energy, and didn't
impose the requirements on other
buildings.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm's Michi-
gan Plan mandates that 10 percent
of the entire state's electricity come
from renewable sources by 2015.
The Michigan Plan is structured
around specific alternative energy
goals for the buildings, known as
renewable portfolio standards.
Granholm pressured the state Leg-
islature to pass the bills earlier this
month, but the state House of Rep-
resentatives postponed the deci-
sionuntil after its springrecess that
began March 20.
Wind energy, along with bio-
energy fuels, solar energy and
energy efficiency, is one of four
components included in the plan.
Uneven heating of the atmo-
sphere causes wind, which can be
harvested for energy using wind
turbines - giant fan-like contrap-
tions that take energy from the
motion of the wind, turning it into
power. The energy generated by the
turbines, which is measured on a
scale of one to seven by the Depart-
ment of Energy, can then be used
for electricity.
The state of Michigan has a wind
potential rating of two on land.
Near the coasts, though, the rating
goes up to three near the coastline
and up to five farther into the Great
Lakes.
Len Singer, a spokesman for
Detroit Edison Energy, said DTE's
only reservation about renewable
energy is the high cost. He said
those higher costs would end up
being passed along to customers if
DTE used renewable energy.,
"From an economic development
standpoint, we want to be sure
we're keeping costs as low as pos-
sible for businesses and residential
customers," Singer said.
He said he thinks Granholm's
plan is attainable, though.
Richard Robben, director-of the
University's plant operations, said
though generating wind energy
costs twice as much as purchasing
the power from a coal plant, wind
energy would be, Michigan's best
renewable option because of its
abundance.
"We're naturally the 16th-best
See WIND ENERGY, Page 3A
AP PHOTO
The Michigan hockey team moved one step closer toa national title this weekend, beating Niagara and Clarkson to earn a trip tothe Frozen Four in Denver.
MIILE-HIGHHOPES
Fans can enjoy win,
even if team won't
ALBANY, N.Y. - Just 30 than genial.
minutes after Michigan beat of course, the arena crew had
Clarkson to win the NCAA East a job to do. And the team was
regional, everyone seemed ready probably reserving its true cel-
to look ahead, not back. ebration for
By then, the Times Union the privacy
Center staff was hard at work of the locker
covering the ice and taking room or the
down the glass of the rink where chartered
the Wolverines had clinched flight back to
their spot at the Frozen Four in Ann Arbor.
Denver, their first trip to college For the
hockey's championship weekend public, it was N
since 2003. all business. NATE
Michigan coach Red Beren- "It's been SANDALS
son, seniors Kevin Porter and our goal all
Chad Kolarik and junior Billy year to be the
Sauer walked into the postgame number one team in the nation,"
press conference in suits. If any- Kolarik said. "So far, we've done
thing, they looked more stern See SANDALS, Page 3A
'M' headed to Denver for
first Frozen Four since'03
By COURTNEY RATKOWIAK
Daily Sports Editor
ALBANY, N.Y. - There were
nine and a half seconds left. The
whistle blew, but the buzzer
might as well have sounded.
With the Wolverines down
two men, goalie Billy Sauer had
just stopped a 90-second barrage
of shots fired by the desperate
Clarkson offense.
The bench erupted. Freshman
Aaron Palushaj whacked junior
Brandon Naurato on the back in
elation, leapt over the bench with
two seconds still on the clock and
led the charge onto the ice. The
Wolverines collided in a glass-
See HOCKEY, Page 3A
FOR MORE IN
SPORTSMONDAY:
* Theriddle of Porter, Kolarik and
Paciorettyleaves Niagara searching
for answers. PAGE1B
0 The Michigan hockeyteam is
going to the Frozen Fourin Denver.
Scott Bell saysyoushould too.
PAGEIB
0 Michigan footballcoach Rich
Rodriguezsnaps back atJustin
Boren'scharges.PAGE1B
800 'U' students pitch in on DP Day
Group members
worked at fifty
Detroit-area sites I
By GEOFFREY GAURANO
and LINDY STEVENS
Daily StaffReporters
While most students were still
asleep on Saturday, more than 800
students took part in community
service projects throughout Detroit
for the ninth-annual Detroit Part-
nership Day.
The event, better known as "DP
Day," was hosted by the service-
learning organization The Detroit
Partnership, which sent students
to over 50 sites in the Detroit area.
Most students worked in the north-
west neighborhoods of the city,
helping to clean up parks, paint
murals and clear out abandoned
homes for demolition. CHANEL VON HABSBURG-LOTH RING EN/Daily
This year's DP Day, which was LSA freshman Juleah Szopo (RIGHT) and LSA sophomore Ange Royall-Kahia (CENTER) and LSA sophomore Tonia Berry
the organization's biggest event of paint a street seat outside for Detroit Partnership Day. More than 800 students participated in the event.
the year, was also the group's first planning team member for The teers could have been confused for to rebuild and sell affordable hous-
major event since it changed its Detroit Partnership. "It's more construction workers, spending ing to Detroit residents.
name last month. about working with Detroit." the day knocking down walls of a John J. George, co-founder and
Formerly called The Detroit LSA senior Michael O'Brien, a fire-damaged home. Others wore president of Blight Busters, said
Project, the organization decided member of the group's planning facemasks and gloves while clear- the partnership helps the group
to change to The Detroit Partner- committee, said the new name ing out debris from inside of the accomplish projects more quickly.
ship because group leaders said demonstrated the larger purpose house. Some sorted through stacks "What the volunteers are doing
it better captured the goal of the of the organization. The group of books from the house that were today would take a paid crew a year'
organization's work. also organizes weekly projects, set aside for donation. Students to do," George said.
"We didn't want it to sound like which include tutoring students in demolishing the house partnered George said that after the stu-
Detroit would be 'fixed,' " said Detroit's public schools. with Motor City Blight Busters, a dents finished, a construction crew
Kathryn Rice, a University alum At first glance, DP Day volun- non-profit organization that works See DP DAY, Page 3A
Ford economist: Learn
from struggling economy
Hughes-Cromwick
discusses impact of
global market shifts
on auto industry
ByLAYLAASLANI
Daily StaffReporter
The chief economist for Ford
Motor Company said Friday the
current state of the global econo-
my has been problematic for auto-
makers, but also offers students a
valuable oppor-
tunity to study
why domestic
and foreign
markets are
struggling.
Ellen
Hughes-Crom-
wick, who
joined Ford HUGHES-CROMWICH
in 1996, spoke
before a crowd of more than 130
students and faculty in Lorch Hall
in a lecture sponsored by the Michi-
gan Economics Society.
Hughes-Cromwick started her
presentation by stressing.to stu-
dents that now is a great time to
study economics because of the
instability of both domestic and for-
eign markets.
She said a number of economic
woes plaguing the U.S.'s economy
- the sub-prime mortgage crisis,
price inflation and the declining
value of the dollar - have created
trouble for the ailing automaker and
for worldwide markets.
"You couldn't ask for a worse
combination," she said. "It's very
difficult to have the U.S. slow down
and everyone else humming along
just fine."
Hughes-Cromwick said signifi-
cant price increases for commodi-
ties like oil and steel have further
hurt Ford. She presented a graph
showing an increase in the world's
hot-rolled steel prices - a key com-
ponent for automobile produc-
tion. Before 2004, U.S. steel prices
were just below $400 per ton, the
graph read. This year, that price has
reached $760 per ton.
Hughes-Cromwick said this
"surge"inpricesmighthavestemmed
fromsteeltariffsimposedbytheBush
administration in early 2002.
- These tariffs limited the amount
of foreign steel that could be
imported into the U.S. and served
as a "protection umbrella" while
the U.S. steel industry restructured,
she said.
By the time the government
lifted those same tariffs in Dec.
2003, she said, the U.S. steel indus-
try emerged with a significantly
increased amount of market power.
Hughes-Cromwick said the lead-
ing economic indicators in the U.S.,
See ECONOMIST, Page-3A
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