| The spotlight is zooming in on America as a champion | | | | looking to Sweden for guidance and see the push for |
| in transforming road machines into green vehicles. But | | | | alternative fuels there and the transformation in various |
| a small country with just 4.2 million cars has started the | | | | industries as something that could be emulated here. |
| initiative ages ago and is now far ahead. With the help | | | | The governor made a trip to Sweden last year and |
| of a number of auto giants, Sweden is leading the | | | | has praised the country's commitment to alternative |
| ethanol drive - a scheme designed to put more green | | | | energy. She said Michigan must follow suit and is |
| vehicles on the roads. | | | | planning a summit of Michigan and Swedish energy |
| "Sweden has made a major commitment to ethanol," | | | | leaders later this year in Michigan. |
| Michael Wood, the United States ambassador to | | | | "To understand the connection between renewable |
| Sweden and a Flint native, said in an interview in | | | | energy and jobs, just look at Sweden - a country with |
| Detroit. | | | | striking resemblances to our state: the same size |
| How dedicated is Sweden? In 2006, the country | | | | population, similar geography with two-thirds of their |
| started converting smuggled beer, wine and hard | | | | land covered by forests, a strong automotive sector," |
| alcohol into biofuel used to run trucks and buses. In | | | | Granholm said. "Sweden set high goals for their use of |
| 2007, Sweden turned 180,000 gallons of alcohol into | | | | renewable energy. The result? They created over |
| biofuel. | | | | 2,000 businesses and 400,000 jobs in their renewable |
| Some vodka distilleries are switching to ethanol | | | | energy sector - 400,000 jobs." |
| production and some paper mills in northern Sweden | | | | Last year, about 12 percent of vehicles sold in Sweden |
| are working to develop cellulosic ethanol, said Bo | | | | were E85 models, versus an expected six percent in |
| Andersson, a Swedish native and General Motors | | | | America. According to a Detroit News release, |
| Corp.'s vice president for global purchasing. | | | | America has about 121 million drivers and just more |
| Sweden has cuddled ethanol unlike any other country | | | | than 1,200 E85 pumps, mostly in the Midwest. But |
| outside Brazil. By far, the Nordic nation is the most | | | | Sweden has five million drivers but over 1,000 ethanol |
| successful. As such, it could serve as a worthy model | | | | pumps. This fact is mainly attributed to a 2006 |
| for America in its goal to slash foreign oil reliance. | | | | Swedish law that requires stations to have an |
| Gov. Jennifer Granholm and other Michigan officials are | | | | alternative fuel pump. |