the blog of LAKE, the Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange
What is the Industrial Authority's plan to bring in real clean jobs?
MAGE SOLAR is hiring for the first of 350 jobs in its photovoltaic (PV) solar manufacturing plant in Dublin, Georgia, with half the population of Valdosta, in Laurens County, with half the population of Lowndes County. They've parlayed their position between the Atlanta airport and the Savannah seaport for many new clean jobs.
Suniva of Norcross's second PV plant with its 500 jobs went to Michigan. Saginaw Valley calls itself Solar Valley and collaborates with governments, academia, and industry, winning thousands of clean jobs in wind and solar manufacturing and generating plants.
"Eventually, we see no reason why giant wind turbines made here could become known as the best in the world. And then shipped across the globe and to other parts of the nation from docks along the Saginaw River, or on the railroads that tie Michigan to the continent."Yes, the VLCIA plays up I-75, I-10, the airport, and the railroads. But where does it say Lowndes County is Renewable Energy County and where's the strategy to bring in clean jobs?
What has the VLCIA been doing while Dublin and Saginaw won jobs?
- Where's our major solar generating plant?
- Where's our solar academy like Dublin's?
- Our solar manufacturing plant?
- Our house efficiency retrofitting strategy like Houston's that would employ many construction people?
- Our local agritourism map, like Tallahassee's?
- Our reforestation plan, to produce twice as many jobs as biomass?
What kind of businesses will decide to come to a place whose main new industries are a polluting smokestack industry and a private prison?
It's time for the VLCIA to come up with a plan for bringing in
real clean jobs. A plan that draws from strengths beyond the
VLCIA board and staff.
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For more, see http://www.l-a-k-e.org/topics/clean/index.php
John S. Quarterman
Lowndes County
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