September 18th, 2009
By Bill Sullivan
Green Right Now
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, (Photo: Ford Motor Co.)
Not every abandoned automobile manufacturing plant is doomed to a future of dust, rust and general obsolescence. Thanks to a creative deal between Ford Motor Co., the state of Michigan, and a pair of energy concerns, a shuttered facility near Detroit soon will be cranking out renewable energy and creating new jobs for the region.
Xtreme Power of Austin,Texas and Clairvoyant Energy of Santa Barbara, Calif., reportedly will pay $725 million for the former auto plant in Wixom, Mich. The plan is to use about half of the 4.7 million square feet to manufacture battery-based energy storage systems and high efficiency solar panels. The new owners hope to find other green companies to fill the remaining space.
In its heyday, the Wixom plant employed about 5,000 auto workers and produced about 6.6 million cars over more than five decades. The workforce had dwindled to about 1,000 before the the facility shut down in 2007. It has been maintained by a skeleton crew ever since.
“The Wixom Assembly Plant served Ford well for half a century and we wanted to ensure it served Michigan well into the future,” said Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford. “Thanks to the collaborative efforts of two visionary energy companies and the leadership of state and local officials, we are transforming our Wixom facility into one of the largest renewable energy parks in the United States. I can’t imagine a better way to use this facility – for ourselves, our children and our grandchildren.”
New ownership expects to begin refitting the plant in the first quarter of 2010, with full operations targeted for late 2011. In time, the project could provide up to 4,000 new jobs in the area, not including positions created indirectly.
State and local tax credits and incentives helped facilitate the deal. Gov. Jennifer Granholm insists the money will be well spent.
“It’s a great example of the Phoenix rising from the ashes, and it’s all part of our strategic plan to diversity Michigan’s economy,” she said.
Clairvoyant Energy already has announced plans to build up to 2.5 million solar panels a year at the Wixom site. That output alone, the company says, could replace the need for one large coal-fired power plant.
Copyright © 2008 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media
