I caught a little of the news on WXYZ this morning that the old Ford Wixom plant, some 4.7 million square feet of buildings on 320 acres, may become a new energy park. Michigan Messenger reported that it would be a billion dollar conversion that will ultimately create 4300 direct jobs if (R) State Senator Nancy Cassis doesn’t complain about the tax incentives in her district. http://michiganmessenger.com/25413/deal-announced-on-wixom-plant-takeover.
As Michigan Messenger also reported: “There is a battle going on in Lansing about tax credits as critics wonder if they really do help to create jobs and economic growth and, if so, do they do those things well enough to make up for the loss in state revenue at a time when record deficits are forcing massive cuts in services. The public is mostly unaware of this battle, but longtime capitol reporter Tim Skubick noted on his blog that Gov. Granholm, a strong advocate of the use of tax credits to attract investment, may have found a trump card over one of the chief critics of their use.” http://michiganmessenger.com/25340/granholm-trump-card-on-tax-credits.
And the Wixom Plant is that card. The two companies Xtreme Power of Austin, TX, and Clairvoyant Energy of Santa Barbara, CA are looking for those tax incentives. They will only take up ½ of the complex, but hope to recruit other green industry to join them that is if it’s a good deal.
No one said a transition from an auto industry economy to cutting edge industry was going to be easy especially since Michigan lost so many jobs and people on the trek to find jobs in other states like Texas. I have friends that left for Texas. The fact that a Texas company is looking to base itself in Michigan is a good sign, but the incentives have to be there. And it’s not like Michigan is losing taxes it already had by promoting tax incentives. Actual tax loss was due to the big exodus of people out of here for jobs that also created losses in real estate taxes. Had we embraced replacing those jobs with green industry long ago we would be farther ahead today already. We lost a lot of green jobs to other states because our senate failed to produce a strong (RPS) Renewable Portfolio Standards. http://www.blogsmonroe.com/world/2008/07/mi-senate-decisions-discourage-economic-opportunity/. http://www.blogsmonroe.com/world/2008/03/renewable-portfolio-standards-environmental-resume-for-states/. Now they deliberate whether tax incentives are worth it?
The Wixom plant is standing empty. If two firms are looking to employ 4300 people, who will pay taxes, continue to buy their homes and other things, it’s a plus. I have to wonder about this debate. Remember when citizens were mad about foreigners able to start a business in the U.S. without taxation for 7 years. (Don’t know if that is still true or ever was). Everyone complained that we should do that for our own citizens. Now we’re trying to do it and it’s become a debate.
Meanwhile a quick look at Xtreme Power Company’s website is impressive: http://www.xtremepowersolutions.com/index.php. It says: “[Xtreme Power] delivers integrated smart power management solutions from 500kW to 100MW. Our proprietary solid-state power management and integrated storage enables efficient and available power for an environmentally sound 21st century electricity industry.”
And Clairvoyant Energy’s website came with a surprise, http://www.clairvoyantenergy.com/. It stated:
Clairvoyant Energy builds, owns and operates solar photovoltaic systems throughout the world. Our verticle expertise offers our clients a complete turnkey system including engineering, design, installation, finance and service.
We allow our clients, like GM, to do their part for the environment while creating a financial benefit for renting their roof and unused land space. We also specialize in assisting our clients who own environmental challenging properties to Green Up those properties.
So GM has the largest Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic System so far. Imagine the power from the Wixom plant if both companies equip the rooftops of those 4.7 million square feet of buildings with solar panels?