From: Brown, Tiffany (GOV)
Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2010 5:34 PM
Subject: What the Governor's Talking about Today

What the Governor’s Talking about Today

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

 

Granholm Announces $34 Million in Recovery Act Grants to Expand Broadband Access in Michigan

 

The governor announced today that two Michigan applicants for federal broadband funding will receive more than $34 million to expand access to broadband service in communities throughout Michigan

 

Merit Network Inc., a not-for-profit broadband service provider, will receive more than $33.3 million to build a fiber optic network through a large portion of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula

 

Michigan State University will receive $895,482 to expand more than 80 existing library computer centers, and establish new centers to provide access for citizens in 15 underserved counties.  The counties include: Chippewa, Clare, Gladwin, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Huron, Leelanau, Marquette, Menominee, Oakland, Oscoda, Otsego, Sanilac, Tuscola and Van Buren.

 

The competitive grants, administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).

 

Key Messages:

 

 

Governor Announces Nearly $6 Million for Green Jobs Training

 

The governor announced today that Michigan has been awarded a $5.8 million federal grant to train more than 1,000 Michigan citizens and place them into green jobs.

 

The grant is a State Energy Sector Partnership and Training grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor and funded through the Recovery Act. It was awarded to the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth in partnership with the Council for Labor and Economic Growth, the state’s workforce investment board. 

 

People who receive training through this grant will work in the fields of advanced battery production, energy-efficient building construction and solar energy.  They’ll be training for occupations such as engineers, technicians, assemblers and installers.

 

Key messages:

 

 

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