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Since the beginning of the year, Michigan Radio’s Morning Edition host Christina Shockley has been talking with people from all walks of life about what the people of Michigan can do to help the state. She talks with Tremaine Phillips, energy policy associate with the Michigan Environmental Council, who says the state needs to develop a clean energy economy. She begins by asking him if an average person could, for example, make greener purchasing decisions or contact his or her legislator.

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He believes in revitalizing the state through clean energy, but wants Michigander’s to look beyond the typical focus on clean energy’s potential for the manufacturing sector. “We actually have to begin using and deploying some of these different renewable energy and energy efficiency systems in the State of Michigan system. Companies won’t be interested in coming and investing here in Michigan if they’re not seeing a marketplace for these products here in Michigan.”

He also sees some policy hurdles that we have to deal with directly and solve in a timely manner, “So, we really need to look for solutions to some of these issues different communities are having with wind energy and with solar energy developments. We need to look for solutions to get pass that hurdle.”

Secondly, Tremaine wants to move away from a focus on ‘talent retention’ and towards ‘talent infusion.’ He sees the idea of talent retention as one implying a negative context of constraint or a walling off of students in the state of Michigan. Whereas, he describes talent infusion as “… supporting our students and recent graduates in their ambitions while also opening every door possible for them to become a part of the fabric of our communities.”

The Lansing Economic Area Partnership, or LEAP, is working towards this concept as one of their seven ‘Next Strategies.’ Tremaine says this strategy seeks the “creation of incubators, and the support of businesses and social entrepreneurs.” He continues, “Having student input in local planning and development decisions in our community, and supporting their innovative and sometimes more unconventional ideas and endeavors – these are ways we can ensure our students and recent graduates are having the best experience possible…so that even if they do leave, they are more apt to speak highly of our state and look at opportunities to return in the future.”

Lastly, Tremaine sees a need for improvement on how Michigander’s sell their state.

“We need to push ourselves to become better ambassadors to our great state.” He thinks that too often current and former residents are not representing their state well around the nation and the world. He described a person he met in Chicago who was “dreading” to come to East Lansing for a month-long training program. This dread originated from a colleague who used to live in East Lansing and who told the individual that “there was nothing to do in the greater Lansing region. “We are always battling this issue of perception in the greater Lansing region, as well as in the State of Michigan.” Tremaine made sure to get the individual’s contact information and told him to get in touch when he comes to Lansing so that he could personally show him all of the great entertainment and cultural activities that the state has to offer.