Opening Day for gaming consoles 'MLB 2K8' hits Wii, 360 Arts,. Academia, the liberal haven Page 5A Ideological diversity matters too Opinion, Page 4A ~Iy 1idcian Di~ )NE-HJUN I UGE I JTO .1AL\ L F l*EEI( 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 HI53 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail TOMORROW LO:27 news@michigandaily.com and let us know. ON THE DAILY BLOGS Please keep your politics away MICH IGANDAI LYCOM/THEPODIUM INDEX NEWS................2A ARTS... ...........5A Vol. CXVII, No.124 SUDoKU...........................3A C LASSIFIEDS..................6A m@2008 The Michigan Daily OPINION.. . .4A SPORT...............S. . ..............1B michigondelycom i