More than 600 large wind turbines like these two in Michigan’s Thumb are planned to meet the state’s new renewable-energy standards.
Myriad political and economic leaders tout energy independence as the solution to a plethora of America’s employment, defense, and environmental challenges.
The plan is to leverage renewable energy by investing billions of dollars and implementing policies that will enable America to kick its addiction to foreign oil, undermine the threat of terrorism, protect the environment, and create a new economy with millions of jobs.
A May 2009 Michigan Green Jobs Report suggests that a $2.3-billion investment in alternative energy in Detroit alone would create 23,880 jobs, while a $4.8-billion investment in the state of Michigan would create 54,000 jobs. However, Michigan relies on coal for about 57 percent of its annual electricity production. Even as unemployment in the state reached a record 15.2 percent in June, limited coal reserves mean that the state continues to rely on $2 billion worth of imports, helping neither the economic situation nor the environment.
Today, even as Michigan is home to a high concentration of highly skilled and well-educated workers, it struggles to balance the harsh realities of the economic recession with the burden of national debt and President Barack Obama’s vision for an energy-independent America. What’s more, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has decided to use millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds that were intended to be invested in new jobs and technology instead of making needed cuts in an over-bloated and benefit-rich public-service sector.
Despite these challenges, the state is headed down a new path of energy efficiency, having passed legislation that requires utilities to meet 10 percent of electricity demand through renewable energy and energy-efficiency programs by 2015 — while a new package of bills calls for 30 percent green-generated power by 2025. The federal government, meanwhile, through the proposed American Clean Energy and Security Act, wants utilities to produce 20 percent of electricity through the same programs by 2020.
Politicians spurred on by environmentalists and businesses ready to reap the benefits of sustainable technology and investment are gambling that the mandates they’ve enacted or will soon pass into law will create hundreds of thousands of jobs in research and development, manufacturing, sales, installation, and service. Whether those goals are met remains to be seen, but it’s clear that those businesses that specialize in designing, producing, installing, or servicing wind turbines, biofuel plants, advanced batteries, and solar cells stand to benefit. Overall, more than $5 billion will be invested in green energy in Michigan over the next 20 years.
But reaching the goal won’t be easy. Detroit Edison, the state’s largest electric utility, is investing millions of dollars to meet Michigan’s renewable-energy mandate. A good deal of that investment will go toward wind turbines — some 600 are planned. Studies show the most active areas of the state for wind are north and south of Traverse City, around Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, and in the Thumb area. While wind is typically strongest on the Great Lakes (where there’s less resistance from forests and buildings), placing turbines in the water is a colossal challenge, given the constructional, environmental, and infrastructural hurdles.
For Trevor Lauer, vice president of retail marketing for Detroit Edison and the utility’s point man for renewable energy, the task of meeting the mandates is herculean: “Do we build turbines in the most active areas for wind, which may not be near transmission lines, or do we build turbines in areas that have less wind, but are near transmission lines?”
Lauer and his colleagues are charged with navigating the complicated process for locating towers more than 325 feet high and equipped with turbines that span 230 feet (or some 475 feet from ground to blade tip). “We’re still working all of those details out,” he says.
In addition to finding the optimal location for the turbines that balances wind power against the cost of building transmission lines, Lauer must also get municipal approval for the infrastructure — and not every community is eager to host the imposing structures.
“There are a lot of NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard) out there,” Lauer admits, “so it’s not going to be an easy process.”
Currently, Detroit Edison has garnered easements across 70,000 acres of land, and needs to reach 100,000 easement-ready acres to meet the energy mandate. Alan Ackerman, a longtime real-estate attorney and partner of Ackerman, Ackerman & Dynkowski in Bloomfield Hills, says the transmission lines needed to upgrade the electric grid are the “new freeways of the future.” The utilities, he says, will be “massive users of land that will bring in new investment and taxes, but not every community is going to allow the turbines to be built.”
In preparation for a differently fueled future, Detroit Edison and Heritage Sustainable Energy in Traverse City installed two German-built turbines last fall at the emerging Stoney Corners Wind Farm near Cadillac. In total, up to 60 turbines — each one producing around 2,500 kilowatts of power — are planned at the site.
In addition, the wind farm and others like it require a substation to transfer the generated power to the electric grid. “On average,” Lauer says, “the wind needed to move a turbine occurs about 30 percent of the time on a given day. Plus, there’s generally less wind in the summer months when you need it to power air conditioners.” Because wind is sporadic, the substations are needed to provide a steady flow of electricity to the grid, which can’t handle a sudden spike or drop in power.
On average, it takes about four years to get a turbine up and running, including gaining community approvals. While Stoney Corners is moving forward, Lauer says the Thumb area, including Huron, Tuscola, and Sanilac counties, offers the most promise for wind turbines. He hopes to start construction of a wind farm in the Thumb area next year.
Lauer says that, apart from wind, Detroit Edison is working on a plan to install thousands of solar panels to help meet the renewable-energy mandate. In total, some 2 million square feet of solar panels are planned. Some solar arrays will be built on large parcels of land, while others will be placed on the roofs of expansive structures like manufacturing plants or schools.
“As we gear up to meet the mandate, people are going to see some very visible signs of progress,” Lauer says, “whether it’s wind turbines or solar panels. We have some very sophisticated financial models that we use to determine the direction of our green efforts.”
On the nuclear front, DTE unveiled a reactor design last year for a proposed plant next to its Fermi 2 site in Newport, Mich. The alternative-energy plan of the plant would reduce the creation of greenhouse gases by an amount equivalent to the emissions of 1.5 million cars, DTE says. The plant could plausibly replace the same amount of electricity generated by traditional U.S. sources.
But nuclear power, for all its benefits, doesn’t fall under the state’s green umbrella mandate.
Whether nuclear plants are considered a renewable energy source is open to debate, but it’s clear that over the last few years green has become one of the most popular buzzwords in the country — so popular that politicians utter it frequently in public to bolster their campaigns. Today, nearly everyone in America has adopted at least a small part of the green lifestyle. While some own green cars, others shop from an ever-expanding catalog of green products and services.
Still, executives like Michigan Biodiesel CEO John Oakley suggest that all this hype won’t solve the energy crisis or lead to the growth of alternative energies if it isn’t backed up with appropriate action. “If we were at all seriously engaged in the food-for-fuel debate,” he says, “there would not be one mile of interstate road system that had places where you couldn’t grow a crop. There would be crops on the median and on the shoulders of every road in the entire state.”
To augment availability and capacity, Oakley and his Bangor, Mich.-based company support added legislation to increase incentives, especially since only 100 service stations in the state offer ethanol pumps.
Dave Gloer, general manger of POET Biorefining’s corn-based plant in Caro — in Michigan’s Thumb — agrees that added legislation is crucial in the ethanol sector. “The problem we have is that the Environmental Protection Agency puts a 10-percent blending limit on corn-based ethanol,” he says. “For an industry where demand currently equals supply, it will be hard to grow unless the EPA changes that cap.” Increasing the cap to at least 15 percent, he adds, would allow cellulosic ethanol (made from abundant plants like switchgrass) to move beyond the development stage to the production stage.
As the green revolution finds its footing, proponents argue that renewable energy and energy efficiency cannot be total solutions. They say these should be pursued as a part of a bigger strategy that may involve the very source the country is trying to free itself of — coal — but a “new and improved” clean coal, which emits fewer environmentally hazardous compounds. That will have to wait, though, as Granholm recently put on hold plans to construct seven coal-fired plants in the state, including one near Bay City.
In her most recent state of the state address, Gov. Granholm directed the Department of Environmental Quality to evaluate “both the need for additional electricity generation, and all feasible and prudent alternatives before approving new coal-fired power plants in Michigan.” Her comments put into question the future of Consumers Energy’s proposed $2-billion, 830-megawatt, coal-fired power plant in Bay City. The utility estimates the plant’s net economic impact would be $1.2 billion and would create 1,800 construction jobs at peak, about 2,500 indirect jobs, and more than 100 permanent jobs once the plant is operational.
Nevertheless, key parties remain optimistic. “The governor hasn’t issued any hold on building new coal plants,” says CMS Energy spokesman Jeff Holyfield.
“[She] said before you get a permit, the utility [must conduct] a needs analysis and an alternatives analysis. We’ve done all that, and we’ve delivered our reports to the Michigan Public Service Commission and the Department of Environmental Quality.”
Several residents, along with the Michigan chapter of environmental-advocacy group the Sierra Club, supported Granholm’s decision, arguing that “the proposed coal plant will emit 8.1 million tons of carbon dioxide, 64 pounds of mercury, 1,820 tons of nitrogen oxides, 2,154 tons of sulfur oxides, and 911 tons of particulate matter each year.”
But, Holyfield counters, “The club has been on the record opposing any new coal-fired plants, so that’s not surprising. What we’ve been trying to explain to folks is that our new unit is going to produce 10 percent less emissions than the existing units. We’re even talking about retiring some of our older units after bringing the new unit online in order to have a net emissions reduction.”
Meanwhile, President Obama and the press relied heavily on the versatility of the “green” buzzwords to provide fetching sound bites to boost his presidential campaign; he was smart enough to link them to the real issues of his audiences. In Michigan, that issue is “jobs.” And he did not disappoint.
“We will invest $150 billion over the next 10 years and leverage billions more in private capital to build a new energy economy that harnesses American energy and creates five million green-collar jobs to assuage the nation’s economic and environmental woes,” he pledged at a rally in Lansing in August of 2008. But Obama never referenced this promise to any study or valid projections.
Until recently, hard numbers on the “new energy economy” were tough to come by. In response to the need for statistics, the Bureau of Labor Market Information and Strategic Initiatives published the Michigan Green Jobs Report in May 2009, making Michigan only the second state (after Washington) to release a scientific survey on the subject of green jobs.
According to the report, Michigan has 109,067 private-sector green jobs — 96,767 direct green jobs and 12,300 green support jobs. From a sample of 358 Michigan firms, the survey found that the green sector’s workforce increased by 2,500 workers from 2005 to 2008, a growth rate of 7.7 percent, compared with an overall statewide employment decline of 5.4 percent during the same period.
Reflecting on Michigan’s automotive heritage, the report reveals that clean transportation and fuel research compose 41 percent of the green jobs. It predicts that this sector will grow exponentially as the Big Three automakers, their competitors, and suppliers develop alternative fuel, hybrid, and electric vehicles in Michigan.
Michigan is already several strides ahead of most of the country in transforming its state economy to embrace the new energy vision — with metro Detroit at the center. The city and region are banking on decades of industrious leadership to develop blueprints for prosperity in the new energy era.
To assist the effort, the state recently invested $6 million in a Green Jobs Initiative that will convert a portion of its blue-collar workforce into a lean, green production machine. Under the No Worker Left Behind program, Michigan intends to provide the tools for green enterprises to prosper in the state by financing academia to facilitate green-sector skills that will offer investors trained, experienced manpower. The state is also providing millions of dollars in incentives for advanced battery research (around $550 million to date) in addition to mandating the use of renewable energy.
If it works, Michigan will have positioned itself as among the greenest economies on the planet. If it fails, the experiment will simply go down as a very expensive green gamble.
Green Companies in Michigan
Say “so long” to those outdated yellow pages and consider instead the DBusiness “green pages.” Here we’ve compiled a list of Michigan’s up-and-coming eco-friendly companies — from wind and water energy firms to recycling and manufacturing plants. If you’d like us to include your company on the list, just drop us a line at editorial@dbusiness.com.
21st Century Green Solutions, LLC
Manufacturer and distributor of 600kW wind turbines throughout North America and Europe.
1180 Hollyhock Dr.
Grand Blanc, MI 48439
810-241-5240
www.21stcenturygreensolutions.com
Accio Energy
By 2010, Accio Energy plans to demonstrate and distribute their aerovoltaic technology, which they claim is a way to harness wind energy without turbines or moving parts.
3600 Green Court
Suite 300
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
734-930-6692
www.hydrowindpower.com
Aernnova
Aeronova provides products and services worldwide for the Aerostructures industry.
3891 Ranchero Dr
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-926-0500
www.aernnova.com
Airflow Sciences Corporation
ASC provides engineering services to industrial customers including fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer.
12190 Hubbard St
Livonia, MI 48150
734-525-0300
www.airflowsciences.com
Alternate Energy Solutions, Inc.
AES aids both public and private customers transition into renewable energy sources.
23801 Gratiot Ave
Eastpointe, MI 48021
586-498-8840
www.aesmichigan.com
American Community Developers, Inc
ACD seeks out and restores affordable housing developments, many of which are insured by HUD loans.
20250 Harper Ave
Detroit, MI 48225
313-881-8150
www.acdmail.com
ATI Casting Service/ Allegheny Technologies
ATI casts ductile and gray iron products for use in wind technologies.
P.O. Box 425
Alpena, MI 49707
989-354-3181
www.aticastingservice.com
Applied Process
AP casts ductile and gray iron products for use in wind technologies.
12238 Newburgh Rd
Livonia, MI 48150
734-464-2030
www.appliedprocess.com
Axon North America
Axon develops technologies used in several industries, most notably for blade and adhesive materials used in for wind technologies.
1611 Hults Dr
Eaton Rapids, MI 48827
800-365-8191
www.axson-na.com
Azure Dynamics
Azure develops and produces hybrid and electric commercial vehicles.
14925 Eleven Mile Rd.
Oak Park, MI 48237
248-298-2403
www.azuredynamics.com
Barton Malow Company
Barton Malow construction and design offers everything from general contracting to building design and project management.
26500 American Drive
Southfield, MI 48034
248-436-5000
www.bartonmalow.com
Barton Malow Rigging
This specialty contracting division of Barton Malow specializes in installing large pieces of equipment.
26500 American Drive
Southfield, MI 48034
248-436-5000
www.bartonmalow.com
Bauer Power
Bauer provides renewable energy solutions to commercial and residential customers.
1657 12th Street
Martin, MI 49070
269-672-9620
www.bauerpower.com
Bay Energy Services
Bay Energy provides consultation and management of wind energy systems.
10953 E. Pobuda Rd
Suttons Bay, MI 49682
231-271-4850
Bgreen, Inc.
Bgreen is committed to selling only biodegradable products for the remodeling of any home, office or restaurant.
1952 S. Industrial Highway, Suite C
Ann Arbor, MI
734-214-3000
www.bgreentoday.com
Cascade Engineering
Cascade is comprised of several businesses, which market and manufacture products and services in a diverse range of industries.
3400 Innovation Court SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
616-957-4800
www.cascadeng.com
Citation Corporation
Citation Corp. supplies metal components to the transportation and industrial markets worldwide.
27275 Haggerty Rd.
Suite 420
Novi, MI 48377
248-522-4500
www.citation.net
CMS Energy
Consumers Energy is the primary subsidiary of CMS energy.
One Energy Plaza
Jackson, MI 49201
517-788-0550
www.cmsenergy.com
CMS Industries
CMS is a certified manufacturer of CNC machining centers, which can be utilized in the wind technology industry.
4095 Karona Ct
Caledonia, MI 49316
616-698-9970
www.cms.it
Danotek Motion Technologies
Danotek designs and builds sophisticated generators and electric power conditioning systems for wind energy structures.
8680 N. Haggerty Rd.
Canton, MI 48187
734-426-5976
www.danotekmotion.com
Deland Manufacturing, Inc.
Deland provides large-scale CNC manufacturing services, including sawing, milling and turning.
50674 Central Industrial Drive
Shelby Township, MI 48315
586-323-2350
www.delandcorp.com
DTE Energy Co.
DTE provides gas and electric utility services to commercial and residential Michigan customers.
One Energy Plaza
Detroit, MI 48226
800-477-4747
www.dteenergy.com
Design Systems Inc.-Paint and Environmental Group
Design Systems Inc. is a manufacturing process design and engineering company, which has the ability to consult businesses on greener practices and implement those procedures.
38799 W. 12 Mile Rd., Suite 100
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
248-489-4300
www.dsidsc.com
Disposal Management, L.L.C.
A family owned waste management company, which services both commercial and industrial waste removal and recycling needs.
570 Kirts Blvd.
Troy, MI 48170
248-203-2900
www.disposalmgt.com
Diversified Sales and Service
Diversified Sales and Services provides of solar energy solutions for, primarily, residential customers.
10750 Lewis Rd
Vanderbilt, MI 49795
231-549-3005
Dow Chemical Solar Solutions
Provides solar energy solutions, including an effort to sell solar shingles by 2011.
1381 Building
Midland, MI 48642
www.dow.com
Dow Corning Corporation
Dow creates silicone-based products for customers worldwide.
P.O. Box 994
Midland, MI 48686
989-946-4400
www.dowcorning.com
Dowding Industries
Dowding manufactures die sampling, metal fabrications and welding assemblies for numerous industries, including wind technology.
449 Marilin St
Eaton Rapids, MI 48827
517-663-5455
www.dowdingindustries.com
Eco Home Gear, LLC
Eco Home Gear produces quality, environmentally sustainable household furnishings as well as maintenance and housekeeping supplies.
P.O. Box 210433
Auburn Hills, MI
877 596 4539
www.ecohomegear.com
Enerex, L.L.C.
Entrex engineers and distributes a wide range of devices to be utilized in alternative energy sources.
41775 Production Dr.
Harrison Township, MI 48045
586-468-1858
www.enerexllc.com
Energetx Composites
Energetx is a manufacturer for composite assembly.
725 East 40th St
Holland, MI 49423
616-394-7461
www.energetxcomposites.com
Energy Conversions, LLC
Energy Conversions is a designer and manufacturer natural gas and dual fuel engines for marine, offshore and locomotive industries.
4121 Okemos Rd.
Suite 17
Okemos, MI 48864
517-347-4048
www.energyconversions.com
Energy Conversion Devices
ECD creates laminate solar panels, distributed under the UNI-SOLAR® brand for the purpose of utilizing solar power.
2956 Waterview Dr.
Rochester Hills, MI 48309
248-293-0440
www.ovonic.com
Espas, Inc.
Espas is a manufacturing company specializing in metal cutting.
2717 Industrial Row
Troy, MI 48084
248-341-5300
Event Horizon Solar and Wind
Event Horizon provides solar and wind power as well as other renewable energy applications.
6080 Knoll Dr.
Middleville, MI 49333
269-795-5285
www.eventhorizonsolar.com
Franklin Wind Energy Group
Franklin Wind Energy is a renewable energy company that specializes in the design and manufacture of a new vertical axis wind turbine.
P.O. Box 250 092
Franklin, MI 48025
248-626-9012
www.franklinwindenergygroup.com
FSE Surveyors, Engineers and Project Mgrs
FSE consults, plans and develops civil engineering project for land and real estate ventures.
5370 Miller Road
Suite 13
Swartz Creek, MI 48473
810-230-1333
www.fse.us
Full Spectrum Solutions
Full Spectrum creates a broad range of home and office lighting solutions, including florescent and natural light simulators.
712 E. South St.
Jackson, MI 48204
888-574-7014
www.fullspectrumsolutions.com
Gensink Steel
Gensink fabricates steel products for several industries, including wind technology.
40 E. 64th St
Holland, MI 49423
616-392-1437
www.genzinksteel.com
Global Wind Systems
Global Wind Systems manufactures renewable energy systems, specifically wind energy turbines.
39555 Orchard Hill Place
Suite 600
Novi, MI 48375
www.globalwindsystems.net
Gougeon Brothers, Inc
Gougeon manufactures epoxy products, which can be used for wind technologies.
100 Patterson Ave.
P.O. Box 908
Bay City, MI 48707
989-684-7286
www.gougeon.com
Great Lakes Gear Technologies, Inc.
Great Lakes Gear is both a consultant and sale representative for gear manufacturing technology companies.
8755 Ronda Dr.
Canton, MI 48187
734-416-9300
www.greatlakesgeartech.com
Guffly.com
Guffly.com website is a one product a day online store featuring eco-friendly and fair trade goods.
440 Burroughs
Suite 134
Detroit, MI 48202
313-202-6650
www.guffly.com
Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation
Hemlock provides polycrystalline silicon and chlorosilanes for semiconductor and solar wafer manufacturing.
12334 Geddes Rd
P.O. Box 80
Hemlock, MI 48626
989-642-5201
www.hscpoly.com
Ideal Recycling
Ideal is one of the only companies in Michigan to recycle asphalt roof shingles, removing 15,000 tons of debris from Michigan landfills per year.
19300 W. Eight Mile Rd
Southfield, MI 48075
248-390-8768
www.idealrecyclinginc.com
Inland Industrial Services Group L.L.C.
IISG is an environmental industrial services company, which provides project management and industrial cleaning services to some of the largest companies in the Gulf Coast, Midwest and North East United States.
2021 S. Schaefer Highway
Detroit, MI 48184
313-841-5800
www.inlandwaters.com
Inland Pipe Rehabilitation
Inland Pipe repairs and rehabilitates underground drinking water and sewage pipe structures. They’re also an industry leader in eco-friendly pipe solutions.
277 Gratiot Ave
Detroit, MI 48217
313-963-8380
www.inlandpiperehab.com
ISW Sales and Service
ISW provides wind turbines, power inverters and renewable energy system batteries.
7059 South Lakeshore Rd.
Lexington, MI 48450
810-359-8220
K & M Machine Fabricating
K & M offers outsourced machine fabricating, burning and assembly services. In recent years, K & M has put a focus on wind energy technology.
20745 M-60 East
P.O. Box 218
Cassopolis, MI 49031
269-445-2495
www.k-mm.com
Kaydon Corporation
Kaydon designs and manufactures numerous products for industries around the world, including bearings, filtration, tectonics and other necessities.
315 East Eisenhower Pkwy.
Suite 300
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
734-747-7025
www.kaydon.com
Lehner Findlan Associates
Lehner Findlan serves as an engineering and architectural firm.
17001 19 Mile Rd
Clinton Township, MI 48038
586-412-7050
www.lehnerfindlan.net
Light Your Night
Light Your Night does just that by producing energy efficient LED landscape lighting.
2308 S. Industrial Hwy, Suite A
Ann Arbor, MI
734-845-1986
www.lightyournight.com
Living Space Builders
Green building is made simple and affordable with Living Space Builders, which specializes in eco-friendly building and remodeling.
214 W Kingsley
Ann Arbor, MI
734-302-3011
www.livingspacebuilders.com
Loc Performance Products
Loc designs and manufactures large CNC machined components and assemblies used for military and commercial applications.
13505 Haggerty Rd
Plymouth, MI 48170
734-453-2300
www.locper.com
McHugh Composites
McHugh fabricates composite fiber glass, specializing in fiberglass used in blades for wind energy turbines.
9171 Old State Rd
Stanwood, MI 49346
www.mchughcomposites.com
Meadowlark Builders
Meadowlark Builders is a green, full service design, building and remodeling firm.
711 Fountain St.
Ann Arbor, MI
734-332-1500
www.meadowlarkbuilders.com/green.asp
Merrill Fabricators
Merrill creates weldments for several industries, including wind energy technology.
520 Republic Ave
Alma, MI 48801
989-462-0330
www.merrillfab.com
Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center
MAREC is associated with Grand Valley State University as a research and development center in the area of alternative energy sources.
200 Viridian Dr
Muskegon, MI 49440
231-722-4371
http://www.gvsu.edu/marec
Michigan Green Industry Association
MGIA is a full service landscape and property maintenance provider dedicated to eco-friendly practices.
30600 Telegraph Road Suite 3360
Bingham Farms, MI
248-646-4992
www.landscape.org
Michigan Institute of Aviation and Technology
The Power Technology Institute is a division of MIAT, which educates students for a career in power and renewable energy technology.
47884 D Street
Belleville, MI 48111
734-483-3758
www.miat.edu
Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance
MOFFA is a non-profit organization, which seeks to educate and advocate on behalf of local organic farmers.
P.O. Box 26102
Lansing, MI 48909
248-262-6826
www.moffa.org
Michigan Wind Power
Michigan Wind Power provides wind power equipment as well as introduces wind power concepts to the educational community.
5120 Gray Rd
Traverse City, MI 48684
231-645-4479
MPS Group Inc.
As a leading Minority Business Enterprise, MPS provides a number of services to their clients, including facility management, decommissioning, interior flooring, industrial services as well and environmental services.
2920 Scotten
Detroit, MI 48210
313-841-7588
www.mpsgrp.com
Nature and Nurture, LLC
N&N is an organic landscaping service committed to the best in natural design, installation and maintenance.
114 8th St.
Ann Arbor, MI
www.natureandnurture.org
Nord-Lock
Nord-Lock builds bolt securing systems which can be used in wind energy turbines.
6524 Schamber Dr
Muskegon, MI 49444
231-799-1097
www.nord-lock.com
Northwoods Energy Alternatives
Provides solar and wind energy sources, maintenance and repair.
7910 E. Obrien Rd.
Lake Leelanau, MI 49653
231-256-8868
NSK Corporation
NSK is a global corporation with several divisions. The United States corporation specializes in bearings, which can be used in wind technologies.
4200 Goss Rd
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
800-521-0605
www.us.nsk.com
NTH Consultants Ltd.
NTH is a full service infrastructure engineering and environmental services consulting firm.
480 Ford Field
2000 Brush St.
Detroit, MI 48226
313-237-3900
www.nthconsultants.com
Ort Tool and Die
Ort engineers custom machines and tools for a wide range of industries, including wind technology.
6555 South Dixie Hwy
Erie, MI 48133
419-242-9553
www.orttool.com
Owens Corning
Owens Corning creates composite systems which can be used in blades for wind energy turbines.
46500 Humboldt Dr
Novi, MI 48377
248-668-7500
www.owenscorning.com
Palumba Toys
Palumba features the finest in naturally made children’s clothing and toys, as well as other green household products.
221 Felch Street #2C
Ann Arbor, MI
866-725-7122
www.palumba.com
Partners GREEN
The Group for a Renewable Energy- Efficient Nation is a non-profit organization which looks to promote sustainability in the public and private sphere.
7627 Park Place
Brighton, MI 48116
888-473-5444
www.partnersgreen.org
Peregrine Properties
Peregrine is a national real estate and development agency.
3721 W. Michigan
Suite 203
Lansing, MI 48917
517-321-2800
Ricardo, Inc.
Ricardo is an engineering and system integration firm which develops solutions for several industries, including wind technology.
Detroit Technical Center
40000 Ricardo Dr
Van Buren Township, MI 48111
734-397-6666
www.ricardo.com
RLE International
RLE is a development service provider for the automotive industry, with sectors branching out into wind technology.
31701 Research Park Dr
Madison Heights, MI 48071
248-498-5222
www.rleint.com
Root and Sprout
Root and Sprout is a self proclaimed “eco-boutique” that offers everything from bath and body products, to green furnishings and organic cotton.
474 North Old Woodward
Birmingham, MI
248-593-9552
www.rootandsproutnow.com
Sandvik Materials Technology
Sandvik manufactures and distributes a multitude of steel and special alloy products.
2235 Dewey Ave.
Benton Harbor, MI 49002.
800-253-2437
www.smt.sandvik.com
Seeger-Orbis
Seeger-Orbis manufactures retaining and snap rings, which can be used in gear boxes of wind energy turbines.
5 Parkview Ct
Frankenmuth, MI 48734
248-631-6278
www.seeger-orbis.com
Self Reliant Energy
Self Reliant Energy provides a large number of residential solar power capabilities.
10192 Sargent Rd.
Fowlerville, MI 48836
313-295-9326
Shadeplex
Shadeplex creates building-integrated photovoltaics for buildings and small structures. BIPV are fabrics, which are solar-electric and capable of providing the structure with solar energy.
408 North Huron
Ypsilanti, MI
Shape Corporation
Shape Corp. designs and manufactures fabricated structural metal products, specializing in automotive bumpers. Within the company is a division called Shape-NetShape, which is devoted to ensuring environmentally sustainable practices.
1900 Hayes St.
Grand Haven, MI 49417
616-846-8700
www.shapecorp.com
Sigma Capital Group
Sigma Capital is an investment bank that consults and represents companies in the renewable energy industry.
P.O. Box 1002
Harbor Springs, MI 49740
231-526-9585
SKF USA Inc.
SKF creates mechanical bearings for a wide range of industries, including wind technology.
SKF North American Technology Center
46815 Port St
Plymouth, MI 48185
734-414-6800
www.skf.com
Soil and Materials Engineers Inc.
SME Inc. engineers environmental and geotechnical plans for businesses, including everything from construction materials to pavement and roofing.
43980 Plymouth Oaks Blvd.
Plymouth, MI 48170
734-454-9900
www.sme-usa.com
Starpak Group
Starpak advises on how building conditions and design can be more eco-friendly as well as highly efficient.
3003 Miller Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-222-3000
www.starpakgroup.com
Steel Industries, Inc.
Steel Industries is a full service forged products manufacturer.
12600 Beech Daly Road
Redford Township, MI 48239
313-535-8505
www.steelindustriesinc.com
Sundu Solar, LLC
Sundu Solar sells and repairs solar and wind energy equipment.
4080 Doane Hwy.
Potterville, MI 48876
810-227-1151
S.U.R. Energy Systems, LLC
S.U.R. provides renewable energy products and services to commercial and residential customers.
221 Buena Vista Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-913-9944
www.sur.biz
Three M Tool & Machinery
Three M provides products and solutions to machining markets, specifically bearings that can be used in wind technology.
8155 Richardson Rd
Commerce Township, MI 48390
248-363-1555
www.three-m.com
Tool North, Inc.
Tool North designs and manufactures specialty machines and automation systems.
2475 North Aero Park Ct.
Traverse City, MI 49686
231-941-1150
www.toolnorth.com
Traverse City Light and Power
Traverse City Light and Power is a community-owned power company supplying to commercial and residential customers.
1131 Hastings Street
Traverse City, Michigan 49686
231-922-4940
www.tclp.org
Unimerco Inc.
Unimerco provides tooling solutions for numerous industries, including wind energy technology.
6620 State Rd
Saline, MI 48176
734-994-4433
www.unimerco.com
URS Corp.
URS is an architectural and engineering company that provides a broad spectrum of design services, including environmental.
27777 Franklin Rd., Suite 2000
Southfield, MI 48034
248-204-5900
www.urscorp.com
W. Soule and Company
W. Soule is an industrial contracting company, including fabrication, piping, millwright, custom metal services and specialty services.
7125 Sprinkle Rd
Portage, MI 49002
269-324-7001
www.wsoule.com
Waste Management Inc.
WM provides a wide range of waste management services to commercial and residential clients, including environmental services like recycling and bioremediation.
48797 Alpha Drive, Suite 100
Wixom, MI 48393
248-596-3500
www.wm.com
Wilcox-DeVere Energy Solutions
Wilcox-DeVere is a division of DeVere Construction, which focuses on engineering and constructing energy plant projects.
1030 DeVere Dr
Alpena, MI 49707
989-358-4411
www.devere.tv
Williams Form Engineering Corporation
Williams Form manufactures products for the construction and fastener industry, such as concrete hardware, anchor bolts and post tensioning systems.
8165 Graphic Dr.
Belmont, MI 49306
616-866-0815
www.williamsform.com
WindWorks Windmill Sales & Service
Windworks provides windmills for ornamental, aeration and water pumping purposes.
1709 S. Wan Kal St.
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
269-353-8911
