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Mike Horace: Two Saginaw County semiconductor facilities have received $325 million dollars from the Biden Administration's CHIPS Act, that's part of the shift to green energy. Chad Livengood is politics editor with the Detroit News. He spoke with WCMU's David Nicholas about how the new administration could affect the state's focus on renewable energy and electric vehicles.
Chad Livengood: Richland Township in Saginaw County is fascinating in the sense that is going to be the only place in the country that is building these wafers for solar panels on a massive scale. Taking a raw material that's being built that's being produced, the Poly silicone, that is being produced right across the street at Hemlock Semiconductor, we shipped across from 1 Corning own plant to another Corning own plant and then put in the into make these chips available to go to solar manufacturers, which are assembly of solar panels all around the country. But then in that Township as well, there is a solar developer that has a lease on several thousands of acres of land in that Township to turn it into almost 2,700 acres to turn it into solar panels, existing farmland, and yes, covering up farmland with solar panels, which is, you know, pretty controversial in some parts.
David Nicholas: Chad, you also write about the influence of Elon Musk. He is a big supporter of energy from the sun's solar energy. And knowing, or at least the perception of how much he has the president elects ear. We heard the president-elect on the campaign trail saying repeatedly drill baby drill. How do these two things potentially balance each other out, as Donald Trump retakes the White House?
CL: This is an interesting dynamic that can be worth watching real closely, Musk. has invested in solar in the past and just as recently as November 12th, just a week after the election, Musk was on X, his social media platform, former known as Twitter and said quote “Solar power will be the vast majority of power generation in the future”, but if Musk is pushing the sort of solar strategy. Then a lot of this these laws that Biden and Democrats created, you could see a scenario where they just remain in place. And that's the, you know, as what Trump is called the green new scam may not be a scam after all. If Elon Musk, this Council means anything and. We'll see how this this relationship plays out as Trump puts him to work trying to downsize the federal government's footprint.
DN: Looking at still the fact that the combustible engine and those vehicles are what this state is known for. The shift to the EV, the potential loss of jobs, the potential conversion of jobs. Who would have the advantage running in this state, from a statewide or national level, when it comes to the future of the auto industry and what shape it looks like down the road.
CL: We saw in the campaign there was this concerted effort to knock down EV transition, by president-elect Trump and Republicans, this was you know, a strategy was aimed at blue collar parts of the state that are very reliant upon jobs in the traditional gas engine automotive industry. And think Macomb County and all the parts that go into a gas engine. Those do go away over time, and so that is seen as a threat. You didn't see Donald Trump taking this message anywhere else. This is almost a single state strategy, this was good for Michigan politics. The president-elect to take that stance, but it doesn't actually translate the rest of the country.
DN: Chad Livengood, of the Detroit News. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us. Appreciate it.
CL: Hey, thanks for having me, David.
