Growing the green industry now rather than later

A great man once said: "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today." That great man was Wimpy, from the Popeye cartoons. That sentiment, in a way, can be applied to this one: If we invest now in green energy we will get paid in the future.

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Green jobs pay more than the average private-sector job, the report found. Some of the state's top greening industries, such as utilities and chemical manufacturing, paid more than $1,000 per week or $50,000 per year, well above the average weekly wage of $811.

"We have good jobs. We have a growing sector," said Andy Levin, deputy director for Michigan's labor growth department.

He said Michigan's renewable energy production -- jobs in areas such as wind and solar manufacturing -- added nearly 1,900 jobs from 2005 to 2008, a growth rate of 30 percent.

The industry's growth, however, isn't without challenges. A near-frozen credit market has stalled work orders for wind- and solar-energy equipment and stifled new green business ventures.

"There is a liquidity crisis even for good, solid companies working in this space," said Stanley Pruss, director of the Department for Energy, Labor and Economic Growth. "We're confident that once liquidity unfreezes and money starts flowing, things will pick up."

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