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Patrick: Mass. Can Reap Benefits from Clean Energy

Massachusetts – Gov. Deval Patrick, making his second appearance at MIT this month, told an enthusiastic crowd that clean energy has the potential to bring about an economic bonanza for the commonwealth at the same time that it improves the planet’s well-being. “If we get this right, the whole world will be our customer,” Patrick said of his plans to make Massachusetts a hotbed of both innovation and implementation in solar, wind and other clean energy alternatives. A new energy reform bill now being hammered out in a state legislature conference committee, Patrick said, “will revolutionize energy policy in this state.”
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MORE ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT NEWS

CO – Ritter Announces Conservation Effort. Gov. Bill Ritter announced a new effort to protect some of the most beautiful areas in our state from development. Keep It Colorado is designed to coordinate protection efforts from five leading conservation organizations including the Nature Conservancy and the Colorado Conservation Trust.
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OH – Strickland Proposes Renewable Energy Requirement. Environmental advocates are seeing dollar signs in the hundreds of windmills they envision sprouting on the Ohio landscape, thanks to the commitment to renewable resources in the state’s new energy plan. Gov. Ted Strickland proposed that Ohio utilities be required to have 12.5 percent of their total power portfolio come from renewable resources, such as wind, solar, and water, by 2025. The 12.5 percent requirement translates into an investment of at least $12 billion in wind energy installations.
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GENERAL NEWS

KS – Sebelius Signs Bill For Cessna Factory Funding. Calling it one of the best examples of a public-private partnership in her six years as governor, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed a bill authorizing economic development assistance for Cessna Aircraft Co. The bill provides $33 million in state bonds to help Cessna build a plant for its transcontinental Citation Columbus business jet, its largest plane to date. “It’s a great investment for Kansas,” Sebelius said. Cessna is investing $780 million in the project, including $200 million for the plant and equipment. The project is expected to create 1,010 jobs at an average salary of $73,000.
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KY – Beshear Ushers Continued Investment, Jobs. Toyota Boshoku America is adding 170 white-collar jobs here at an average annual salary of $60,000 to $70,000. The company, a supplier to the automotive industry with annual sales of $10 billion, announced the expansion of its Erlanger headquarters. Twenty years ago, when Gov. Steve Beshear was lieutenant governor, he was part of an administration that opened a wave of Japanese investment in Kentucky that now totals more than 150 companies employing approximately 40,000 people. “We opened the doors … and those doors have been open ever since,” Beshear said. “And we want to make sure they continue to stay open.”
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MI – Granholm Welcomes New Jobs. One of the world’s largest defense and aerospace companies is planning a $58.4 million expansion in suburban Detroit that is expected to create 460 new engineering and high-tech jobs. Gov. Jennifer Granholm says London-based BAE Systems is expanding its Land and Armaments operating group in Sterling Heights by converting an existing industrial property in the city into a state-of-the-art prototyping and test facility. The Michigan Economic Growth Authority approved a state tax credit valued at $22.1 million over 14 years to secure BAE’s investment.
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NH – Lynch to Improve Heath IT Infrastructure. Gov. John Lynch directed the Citizens Health Initiative to develop a plan for improving the state’s health information infrastructure to improve health care quality and affordability for New Hampshire citizens. “Our goal is to keep New Hampshire one of the healthiest states in the nation, and make sure more of our citizens have access to quality health care, at a more affordable cost,” Lynch said. “Technology can help us reach that goal, by doing for the health care industry what it has done for virtually every other industry—improve quality and efficiency, which cuts down on errors, and reduce costs.”
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NM – Richardson Plans Humanitarian Trip to Venezuela. Gov. Bill Richardson says he will travel to meet with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez this weekend. And on that trip, the governor hopes to rescue three Americans being held by a Colombian rebel army. The governor says the trip is a humanitarian mission that has nothing to do with foreign relations. He said that he will ask the Venezuelan president to help broker the release of American hostages kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. He believes Chavez can use his good relationship with the rebel army to help free the American hostages. “I’m going to meet President Chavez, I do know him. I met him ten years ago when he was first sworn in. We’re going to talk about the positive role that he might play in helping us secure the hostages,” Richardson said.
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NY – Paterson Encourages Film Production. Gov. David Paterson signed legislation that will expand the Empire State film production tax credit program and help attract even more movie and television industry business to New York. The significant expansion of the tax credit will keep New York the most popular destination outside of Hollywood for filmmakers, and further promote an industry that creates billions of dollars in economic activity in New York each year. “It is vital to our state’s economy that New York remains a premier destination for film and television productions,” said Paterson. “The entertainment industry plays an important role in fostering economic growth by promoting our state on movie and television screens across the world, and creating thousands of jobs for New Yorkers.”
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WV – Manchin Awards Grants to Combat Violence. Projects in Ohio and Marshall counties were among the 27 recipients of Stop Violence Against Women Grants awarded by Gov. Joe Manchin. A total of almost $1 million was awarded for the projects. The grants provide personnel, equipment, training and technical assistance to the teams.
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WI – Doyle Welcomes Company Expansion. Gov. Jim Doyle announced assistance of $130,000 for Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. to expand its Jefferson operations. “Manufacturing is a cornerstone of our economy, and we want to invest in projects that will keep our manufacturing base strong and growing,” Doyle said. “I’m pleased that we could help Nestlé Purina PetCare Co. undertake a significant expansion in Jefferson.”
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