Green Machines Road Trip

34,000 Jobs for Michigan

We finally made it back home to Michigan, and spent today meeting with UAW leadership up at Region 1C in Lansing.  Members up there are real excited about the new assembly plant in Delta Township that builds GM’s crossovers: the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave.

Watch video clips of our interviews with Region 1C Director Duane Zuckschwerdt and other UAW leaders!

The new plant and vehicles in it are really a success story for the region. Doug Rademacher, President of UAW Local 602 informed us that they’re the biggest vehicles on the road that achieve 25 mpg.  They have all the bells and whistles of a BMW SUV, but they seat more people (8 max), get higher fuel economy, and are $20,000-$30,000 cheaper. As Doug said, “What more could you ask for?”

From our end, we were especially interested to learn about all the advanced technology in the crossovers and where it’s coming from. 

Green Manufacturing in Ohio

This morning we were in Toledo, Ohio, meeting with Lloyd Mahaffey, Director of UAW Region 2B.  Lloyd told us about initiatives in Ohio that are aimed at generating jobs in the green manufacturing sector, and mentioned some really innovative ideas.  He talked about a landfill located adjacent to Chrysler’s Jeep plant in Toledo that is burning methane.  He envisions producing ethanol from the methane and using it to fuel Jeeps as they come of the line.  With the Jeep plant producing 300,000 Jeeps per year and filling them with 10 gallons of fuel each, that’s a lot of ethanol that would create a bunch of jobs in the neighborhood.  He also envisions using geo-thermal or wind energy to help power a plant in Maumee that is scheduled to shut down.  That technology could significantly reduce energy costs at the plant and might make the facility more desirable to potential investors. 

We also talked to Lloyd about a Ford Transmission plant in Sharonville that is producing advanced six-speeds that help save fuel.  Ford is looking to expand production, since the new transmissions are being used in so many of the company’s new and upcoming models.  Mexico offered Ford $90 million in incentives to build the transmission there. Lloyd is hoping that the newly elected officials in Ohio and Congress will step up and make an effort to attract those kinds of green manufacturing jobs by offering similar incentives.

With energy and global warming becoming increasingly important economic and political issues, we were thrilled to see a leader like Lloyd with so many innovate ideas and taking real initiative to move things forward.  And, were also pleased to see him take action by signing our pledge.

Hybrids in Indianapolis

We spent today in Indianapolis, visiting folks at GM’s Allison Transmission Division.  Allison makes transmissions for commercial and military applications, including transit buses. The division was the first to discover the advantages of a parallel hybrid system (as apposed to a series hybrid), and developed the system 5 years ago for use in transit buses.  In recent years, the division has gone a step further and re-engineered its system to be used in GM’s light-duty cars and trucks.  The first application of the new two-mode hybrid system will be launched later this year on the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, and will be featured next year on DaimlerChrysler’s Dodge Durango.  When meeting with the hybrid team in Indianapolis, we were not only amazed at the amount of development work and the “get it done” spirit that exists within the facility, but also by the team’s pure enthusiasm over its product and belief that it is future of the auto industry.

Since beginning production in 2003, Allison has made 588 deliveries of its hybrid transit system and is by far the industry leader in the segment.  Their product is operating in 46 North American cities, as well as Shanghai, Dresden and other places across the globe.  Worldwide interest is growing rapidly, and fleets in France, Austria, Istanbul, Switzerland and elsewhere are showing interest in purchasing their own.

And while these buses sure have environmental advantages, there is a whole host of other features that make them ideal for communities everywhere. 

Greening Fleets in Chicago

Next we drove down to Chicago, or at least one of its suburbs, to talk with members of the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition.  These are primarily local government folks that are leading the way on purchasing clean fuels and clean vehicle technologies in the Chicago metropolitan area.  We stopped by the fleet garage for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, where we spoke with the Preserve's fleet manager, John Walton.  DuPage has become somewhat of a national model, where John helped to champion the Preserve's goal of 100% alternative-fueled vehicles over 10 years.  With more than 162 vehicles in its fleet, the Preserve is already well on its way.  In case you were wondering, a Forest Preserve District is a unique governmental body that manages the public lands within the county.  In most cases (in Illinois at least), forest preserve districts are governed by the County board.  Not the case in Dupage County.  Their governing board is separate, keeping the land preservation mission front and center.  Part of that mission is also the Preserve's commitment to cleaner air, and reduced energy use.

We also spoke with Darwin Burkhart, who chairs the broader Chicago Area Clean Cities (CACC) coalition.  He told us about other success stories in the Chicago area, such as the purchase of hybrids (note his red one in the picture above) and the use of E-85 in the City of Chicago, and the extensive use of biodiesel in the City of Evanston.  The CACC coalition is part of the federal Clean Cities program run by the US Department of Energy, which has now spurred a network of more than 80 Clean City coalitions throughout the country. 

Rounding out the visit was a conversation with David Christopher, the finance and marketing VP for the region's largest retailer of E-85 fuel--Gas City.  With more than 20 stations carrying E-85 in the Chicago area, Gas City has made using an E-85 vehicle a convenient option for the city's residents.  While Gas City has made a commitment to E-85 "for the long haul," Mr. Christopher explained that many owners of flex-fuel vehicles still aren't aware they can use E-85 in their vehicles.  He said there's still a need for a public education campaign to help people become aware of the benefits and availability of these new fuels.  Toward that end, Gas City and its E85 fuel supplier, VeraSun Energy, have formed partnerships with both Ford and GM to expand consumer awareness about the availability of E85 in the Chicago area and throughout the Midwest.

Flex-Fuel SUVs in Janesville, WI

Today we stopped near the Wisconsin–Illinois border to visit GM’s Janesville Assembly plant, which builds the Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Chevy Suburban.  We were greeted by leadership from UAW Local 95, who were interested to learn more about the kinds of fuel-efficient technologies we are promoting and the chances of GM actually making the Chevy Volt plug-in electric concept vehicle that debuted at the North American Auto Show last week. 

The SUVs being built in Janesville now are pretty efficient, for what they are.  They are among the class leaders in terms of fuel-economy, so if you need to haul large or heavy loads, they really are a pretty good choice.  The standard engine on 4x4 models is flex-fuel, so it can run on corn grown right in Wisconsin.  In fact, GM makes the majority of flex-fuel vehicles offered in the US.  Currently there are 27 flex-fuel models on the market, 25 of them are made by domestic companies, 14 are made by GM. (To learn more about GM's flex-fuel vehicles, visit its Live Green - Go Yellow website.)

The engine also uses an Active Fuel Management system that shuts half the engine’s cylinders down when driving conditions are light.  If you get the Denali version of the Yukon, it comes with a new six-speed that helps make the vehicle a little more efficient.

Crossovers Bring Jobs to Belvidere, IL

We made our way back to Illinois today, and stopped off this morning in Belvidere to meet Mr. Thomas Littlejohn, President of UAW Local 1268.  Before we got there we thought we already knew the story about Belvidere’s newly renovated assembly plant, but it turns out there was even more good news there than we had thought.

Watch video clips of our interviews with President Littlejohn and other UAW leaders!

DaimlerChrysler’s Belvidere Assembly plant makes three new crossover vehicles: the Dodge Caliber, the Jeep Compass, and as of this month, the Jeep Patriot.  All three come with continuously variable transmissions (which save fuel and provide a smoother ride than conventional 4, 5 or 6-speed transmissions) and efficient engines with dual-variable valve timing  (that are built by UAW Local 723 in Dundee, MI).  These advanced technologies make all three vehicles capable of 30 mpg.

We had heard that Chrysler created a bunch of jobs at the plant when they renovated to build the new crossovers last year, but didn’t know all the details.  We found out today that union employment at the plant went from 1700 before the renovations to 3600 after.  In addition, we also found out that an entire supplier park was created in the surrounding neighborhoods and now employs 2900 workers, all of whom have been organized in the past year.  That’s 4800 new jobs in the Belvidere area – what an enormous impact that must have on the local economy!  And that’s only the direct manufacturing jobs; there must also be thousands of new in-direct jobs, for example at local diners and construction companies.

President Littlejohn also mentioned that the state played a big role in enticing DaimlerChrysler to re-invest in the plant by offering millions in tax incentives.  He said Governor Blagojevich and the local government have been some of the UAW’s strongest allies in the region.  If state policies made such a big difference in Illinois, imagine what federal policies could! 

Take Action! Tell Congress to encourage more investments like this one!

For more information on these crossovers , visit the Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot websites.

Energy and the Apollo Alliance in Wisconsin

Posted by Bill Holland
Apollo Alliance's Midwest Field Director

On Monday I was able to meet up with the Green Machines Tour as they rolled through Madison, WI. In my role covering the Midwest for the Apollo Alliance, I hear the same stories the Tour is promoting. Stories about huge opportunities to invest locally, develop regional solutions and position the Midwest as a leader in emerging energy technologies. And on the flip side, stories of good jobs moving overseas, an aging workforce and infrastructure and increasing pressure on small towns and family farms.

The Apollo Alliance was launched in 2003 as an initiative to create good jobs in new energy technologies. Inspired by President Kennedy’s original Apollo mission, we believe a massive program to end America’s dependence on foreign oil could unite American’s of all stripes and create millions of jobs while we’re at it. Our plan calls for a federal investment of $30 billion a year for 10 years to develop and commercialize technologies leading to energy independence.  Sure it’s a big plan. But it’s a big problem too. And whether it’s the Space Program, our national railway system or the Marshall plan that rebuilt Europe, America is at its best when we think big.

While in Madison we were able to meet and talk with some of the leaders helping push local leaders to understand the opportunities “Green Machines” present to Wisconsin and the Midwest.

Growing the BioEconomy in WI

After leaving the snowy cornfields of Iowa, we headed East through beautiful hill country and the Great River valley, eventually arriving at the Wisconsin state capitol in Madison. We started out our day at the hilltop offices of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, where we met with Secretary Rod Nilsestuen and his top policy director, Gary Radloff. The Secretary shared his strong optimism for growing Wisconsin’s bio-economy, tying together the strong agricultural and forest products industries in the state with its vibrant manufacturing sector. This means not only producing new biofuels made from cellulosic crops and wood products, but also developing new bio-based products that begin to replace conventional petroleum-based feedstocks. These efforts not only promise to add new jobs and economic opportunity within the state, but also prevent energy dollars from leaving the state. The Secretary also shared his strong commitment to encouraging local ownership in the new bioeconomy, emphasizing the additional value-added to local communities when dollars are kept, and then largely spent, within the local community.

Mr. Radloff discussed with us the state’s innovative policy strategy for growing the bio-economy. Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle recently announced a $450 million initiative to create 17,000 high-end jobs in bioindustry and renewable energy. The initiative consists of a creative public, private investment strategy to encourage new biofuel and renewable energy investments, including: production of biofuels and bioproducts, E-85 and biodiesel fueling stations, and new renewable technology research. $80 million of public funds would be used to leverage more than $370 in private investments, through loan guarantees, low-interest loans, tax credits and grants. The plan drew on the recommendations of the Wisconsin Consortium on Biobased Industry, a 20-member panel established by Governor Doyle. For more information about bio-based initiatives in WI, see: http://power.wisconsin.gov/

The Corn's Cookin' in Iowa

After leaving St. Paul, we made our way over snow-covered highways early on Sunday morning to stop in Lakota, Iowa. Even if we didn’t have directions to Global Ethanol Services (formerly Midwest Grain Processors), we probably could have found our way there by rolling down the windows and following the smell of cornbread. We hadn’t expected an ethanol plant to smell so good!

Once there, we had a chat with David Rosenmeyer, General Manager at Global Ethanol. He explained the ethanol production process to us, and also showed us through the plant so we could see it for ourselves. As it turns out, the plant produces about 100 million gallons of ethanol per year, all of which is made from corn produced on local farms within a 50-mile radius. The company began as a farmer cooperative back in 2001, and though it sold partial ownership to an LLC last year, it's still 40% owned by farmers.

Talkin' Biofuels with Jim

Minneapolis is also home to the renowned Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), where we met up with researcher/advocate Jim Kleinschmit.  Jim has a family farming background raising grass-fed beef cattle, and now specializes in agricultural policies related to the booming biofuels industry.  He and his colleagues at IATP are working to help grow the industry in a sustainable direction.  On a sunny winter afternoon at the former home of the Crosby family (one of the founders of General Mills) we spoke with Jim about the role of biofuels in helping to build local economic opportunities in rural America, about some of the valid and less valid critiques of ethanol, and about the exciting prospects for advanced cellulosic biofuels in providing more environmentally-friendly options for growing the new bioeconomy. 

You can find more information about sustainable biofules on IATP’s website.

Other useful sources of information on this topic include the New Rules Project at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a report on Growing Energy from the Natural Resource Defense Council, and a special Fill’er Up series on biofuels from the online journal Grist.