Jane McCurry grew up in Detroit, the “Motor City.”
“My parents worked for the auto industry. They both worked for Ford,” she says. “The auto industry is the lifeblood of a lot of the people there.”
But the industry is changing.
“Electrification is happening. The industry is moving really quickly toward cleaner vehicles,” she says
McCurry is executive director of Clean Fuels Michigan. The nonprofit is advocating that the state invest in the transition to electric vehicles so Michigan and its workforce are not left behind.
She says that financial incentives can help entice companies to locate electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facilities in the state.
For example, General Motors recently announced it will invest $7 billion at four electric vehicle and battery production facilities in Michigan. The commitment came after state authorities developed a tax incentive package for the company worth more than $800 million dollars.
This investment is expected to create 4,000 new jobs.
“And so having those incentives on the table is really important to make sure that Michigan is winning those jobs,” McCurry says.
She says investing in the electric vehicle industry will pay off for the state’s workforce — and help Michigan secure its role in the auto industry’s future.
Also see: A brief introduction to climate change and transportation
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media