LANSING - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm's emphasis on developing an alternative energy sector will create jobs and strengthen the economy according to a new study released today. The extensive energy policy-related study assesses the impact of energy efficiency and renewable energy policies on Michigan's economy. The results of the study clearly show that investments in energy efficiency programs and the adoption of a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) as called for in Granholm's economic plan, will create up to 19,000 additional jobs and increase the Gross State Product (GSP) by as much as $1.6 billion.

Many schools in the U.S. have light ballasts containing PCBs. The PCBs are contained within the light ballasts’ capacitors and in the ballasts’ potting material, which is used for insulation. Until the late 1970s, PCBs were commonly used as insulators in electrical equipment because they have high tolerance to heat, do not burn easily, and are nonexplosive. Below is an EPA Publication for School Administrators on some of the safety strategies involved.

Removing PCBs from Light Fixtures: Protecting Students from Hidden Danger

The editorial buzz on newswires this month was full of commentary about two rulings issued by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, April 2, 2007. The Court handed environmentalists some hope, which some pundits called "the most important environmental decision in years." They could become historic decisions that affect your bottom line, because electric utility costs will likely go up.

April 13, 2007 -Three-dimensional solar panels developed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute could produce about 60% times more energy than traditional flat solar panels. The new design features an array of nanotowers, like microscopic blades of grass. The tower structures can trap and absorb light received from many different angles, and remain efficient even when the sun is not directly overhead.

Trends & Innovations
Investor's Business Daily
Fri Apr 13, 2007 7:00 PM ET

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is creating a $100 million program to support research intended to encourage policies aimed at reducing the threat of global warming. The foundation's climate change project, which is being announced today, comes amid an increasing political push for legislation to curb emissions of carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and gasoline.