Game Plan
Gameplan for Driving Midwest
Integrated Suppliers for Renewable Energy
This is a state that
has led the world in several areas, from cars to
corn flakes. Today, however, we stand at a
critical juncture in dveloping a new industry
for Michigan. It's well-known that we need to
diversify the industrial base in Michigan;
likewise, we know that we need to take new
approaches to create further business
opportunities.
As great as automotive
has been, its time has passed as being the main
force to sustain manufacturing in Michigan. While
the industry has been revitalized, we know that it
will not likely be as robust as it once was. At the
same time, we have the talent, experience, and
manufacturing systems to make things efficiently and
well. And in spite of the shrinkage of our
industrial base, what we do continues to have value
in this country. Nearly two-thirds of all jobs
are supported by manufacturing, while jobs in this
sector still pay 25 percent more.
Clean energy technology
is the future, and with $10 billion already invested
and more than 220 manufacturers supplying wind and
solar components, we've already started down the
path to make it part of Michigan's future. Today,
according to Henry Kelly, an official with the U.S.
Dept. of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, the state ranks fourth in solar
production and leads the country in clean energy
patents. We are among the top five states in
renewable energy manufacturing potential and wind
potential.
Regretfully, a national
energy policy that would provide direction for our
industry remains a distant dream. For
Michigan's manufacturers to leverage this base and
capture the lead in clean energy technology requires
that forward-thinking business owners be willing to
work with other suppliers and service providers in
advocating for renewable energy initiatives that
will drive new business here in this state.
Wind and solar energy
investors around the world are looking to
jurisdictions that have clear and well-defined
targets for energy development and a comprehensive
policy framework to support such investment going
forward. With several entities advocating
today for policy change to drive more renewable
energy in Michigan, however, no one organization has
had the platform to consolidate these efforts.
As an alliance of the
state's manufacturers and related businesses,
Midwest Integrated Suppliers for Renewable Energy is
in a unique position to become the unifying voice in
coordinating a single message pressing for policy
change to increase renewable energy manufacturing,
jobs and investment in Michigan.
A related objective will
be to advocate for policy change that incorporates a
greater incentive to use local, or Michigan
Content in new energy initiatives that will
provide a more level playing field against global
competition. Although local content is
just beginning to gain traction in the state, the
neighboring province of Ontario had five years
experience implementing local content policy as part
of the Green Energy and Economy Act and a related
feed-in tariff program passed in 2006.
Ontario's renewable
energy legislation was passed to stimulate job
growth and local investment, while phasing out the
use of coal in energy production. Since the
law's passage, the province has become Canada's wind
energy leader with 1,636 megawatts (MW) of current
installed capacity, according to consultant Paul W.
Gipe, one of the authors of the law. And each
100 MW of wind energy development represents a
minimum of 100 jobs, $2.5 million in private
investment, and $300,000 in revenue to municipal
governments in the form of taxes and an equal amount
to rural landowners in the form of lease payments.
On the solar side, a
recent study of solar photovoltaic (PV) power
generation has found that if the provincial utility
continues to award feed-in tariff contracts to solar
generator sat the current rate over the next five
years, it would translate into more than 70,000
person-years of employment.
The study also reports
that solar PV generation in Ontario produces
12-to-15 times the number of jobs created by
non-renewable sources such as coal, natural gas or
nuclear per unit of energy produced.
Additionally, solar PV will result in $7.9 billion
of spending between 2010 and 2015. Solar PV
will also create hundreds of millions of dollars in
tax revenue for both Ontario and Canada.
Driving Midwest
Integrated Suppliers' mission, then, is a
three-pronged effort to coordinate all
interested parties in reviewing and ranking
initiatives that increase renewable energy-related
manufacturing and services; advocate
for policy change that incorporates a greater
incentive to use Michigan Content; and educate
audiences as to the benefits of these proposed
initiatives. In short, we will develop one
message and present it with one voice.
To equitably spread the
cost of driving the alliance, a membership structure
has been established that is pro-rated by category
(Active, Associate, and Supportive) and based on
annual gross revenue. Active Members
are manufacturers and suppliers; Associate
Members are service providers to the industry;
and Supportive Members are potential
vendors to the membership.
Nonprofit organizations
and interested individuals are considered
Valuable Resources and will pay no dues in
exchange for their contribution of time and effort.
Financial support for
driving Midwest Integrated Suppliers will also come
from sponsors of the alliance's energy summit
scheduled for March 21, 2012, who recognize the need
for an energy policy to support business opportunity
in renewable energy; and from foundations that
support clean energy initiatives as they relate to
economic development. Additionally, we will
draw revenue to support operations via Finder's Fees
paid by members who directly benefit from
participation in the alliance (see Defining the
Membership StructureÂ).
Deliverables Completed in Advance of Launch
To demonstrate value and
build support for an alliance, a start-up team has
put together much of the organization over the last
two years under Bannister and Co. Marketing
Communications' umbrella and in advance of launch.
To date, the team has:
Formalized the alliance's purpose following meetings
with potential members in 2009 and 2010; and refined
that
purpose to include an Overall Mission and
Initial Objective.
Formalized the alliance as a Michigan-based LLC with
anticipated status with the IRS as a nonprofit
501(c)(6)
organization for the purpose of promoting
a specific agenda.
Developed and revised the membership categories to
cover potential paid members, as well as nonprofit
members.
Researched and met with potential members over the
last three years and compiled a membership directory
broken
out into relevant categories for use in
recruiting and collaboration:
Active
Members:
Bioenergy OEMS; Bioenergy Suppliers; Solar Energy
OEMs;
Solar Energy Suppliers; Wind Turbine OEMs; Wind
Turbine
Suppliers; Wind Farm Developers
Associate
Members:
Energy/Service Providers; Solar/Service Providers;
Wind/Service Providers
Supportive
Members Vendors and
third-party suppliers
Valuable
Resources
Nonprofit organizations, educational institutions,
and individuals supporting
the use of renewable energy and/or economic
development in the state.
Identified and communicated with relevant nonprofit
organizations in which the host organization acts as
fiduciary in overseeing grants to the alliance.
Drafted the initial position paper and modified it
to reflect the evolving mission.
Designed and produced the brand and business package
for Midwest Integrated Suppliers and registered
the
domain name.
Launched the Midwest Alert e-letter to
communicate relevant issues on a timely basis, as
well as support
membership development.
Launched a blog entitled Midwest Insights
that provides a format for editorial opinion, as
well as complementing
membership development.
Collaborated with the Michigan Energy Alternatives
Project to support implementation of a pilot CLEAN
energy
program within the Traverse City municipal
utility.
Drafted copy for a factsheet and PowerPoint
presentation for dissemination to elected officials
that provide a
case for implementing a CLEAN energy
program.
Drafted and revised a membership dues protocol based
on annual revenues.
Drafted and revised the Gameplan for Driving
Midwest Integrated Suppliers for Renewable
Energy as the
mission
has evolved, to include deliverables and
budget options.
Held the launch meeting to induct an Advisory Board
and approve the mission, deliverables and budget.
Held
subsequent meetings to address the alliance’s
focus and mission.
Developed the strategy, budget and marketing plan
for sponsoring an energy summit tosupport the
mission
and coordinated the logistics in advance of
the conference.
