Granholm delivered a pep talk on green jobs to the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio on Wednesday in Columbus.
Every American president since John F. Kennedy has cited the need for a national policy but none have succeeded, she said. Granholm said the two biggest hurdles are the fear of increasing energy prices and adherence to old economic theory that advocates lower taxes, fewer regulations and free market forces.
Granholm said $4-a-gallon gasoline, current events in the Middle East and a structural change in America’s economy mean the conditions are right for actually achieving a national policy that is appealing to both Democrats and Republicans.
During her tenure as governor, Granholm pushed through a requirement that 10 percent of the state’s energy come from renewable sources by 2015 and that 25 percent come from green sources by 2025. Michigan now ranks fourth in the state for jobs in the solar industry and is first for clean energy patents.
Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland pushed through a similar policy that mandates that 25 percent of the electricity sold in Ohio come from advanced or renewable sources by 2025, including biomass, nuclear, solar or wind.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Scott Nally agreed that a national policy that includes renewable energy standards is needed. He added that the Kasich administration is undertaking a review of the state’s overall energy policy.
Granholm also toured Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research, which works on electric vehicles, batteries and other green technologies.
Michigan relies heavily on the auto industry and got hammered by the economic downturn. The Great Lakes state lost 688,000 jobs between March 2001 and March 2011 and saw two of the Big Three automakers go through bankruptcy reorganization. Michigan’s unemployment rate last month stood at 10.3 percent but the state added 79,000 jobs over the previous 12 months. Ohio’s unemployment rate is 8.9 percent but the state added only 65,700 jobs over the last 12 months.
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