clean energy

Michigan inventors compete in college clean tech venture challenge

Rebecca Williams — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:58:32 +0000

I recently got a chance to hang out with Tom Brady.

Nope, not the football star.

But this Tom Brady is working on making a name for himself. Brady just wrapped up his Masters degree. He’s an aerospace engineer, and now he's also the chief financial officer of SkySpecs LLC.

He holds up something that looks half-insect/half-helicopter. It’s an autonomous flying robot. In other words... it has a mind of its own. Brady says it finds its way around with cameras and computer vision.

“Basically, what these things are: they carry sensors to places that an inspector would otherwise have to,” he says.

Say, down into a sewer or up to the top of a wind turbine.

Ann Arbor plan could reduce greenhouse gases by 90 percent

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:21:39 +0000

Ann Arbor has just announced a plan to reduce greenhouse gases by 90 percent by 2050 - and they'll need residents' help to do it.

Nathan Geisler helped author the plan and says the almost 200-page plan suggests dozens of strategies for the community to reduce its carbon footprint. “The climate plan is an energy plan and a transportation plan and has land use elements and a variety of things to look at how as a community we can reduce energy consumption and therefore greenhouse gas emissions.”

Hoekstra says millions in green energy subsidies were wasted

Rick Pluta — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 21:33:40 +0000

Republican US Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra says there are alternatives to using government subsidies to encourage new energy industries and the jobs that go with them.

He said the proof is the business troubles facing two advanced battery companies with a presence in Michigan.

A123 filed for bankruptcy last week and LG Chem has furloughed its employees.

Hoekstra said that means millions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies were “wasted.” He said the subsidies also reward companies for working at applying for grants rather than their core business.

Stabenow supports green energy subsidies despite A123 bankruptcy

Rick Pluta — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 20:40:30 +0000

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow is defending federal subsidies to promote green energy and advanced manufacturing businesses.

The loans, grants, and tax credits were part of the federal economic recovery package.

A company that got a quarter-billion dollar grant declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week. A123 employed hundreds of people in Michigan at facilities in Livonia, Romulus, and Ann Arbor.

Stabenow said the subsidies remain an important part of national energy and economic policy—even if some of the investments don’t pan out.

Reactor shut down after cooling system issue

The Associated Press — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 17:30:19 +0000

The Palisades Nuclear Plant in southwestern Michigan has been shut down due to a loss of water in a cooling system. WWMT-TV reports the facility in Covert Township was shut down just before 3 p.m. Friday.

The lowest of four emergency classification levels was declared. The classification means plant workers were notified and were resolving the problem. Officials say the shutdown poses no risk to the public and that no radioactive materials were released.

A U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspection was held at the Van Buren County plant last month after a water pump component failed. The plant is owned by New Orleans-based Entergy Corporation.