Share or view as a webpage [ [link removed] ]  I  Update preferences [ [link removed] ]






EGLE Main GovD banner




*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
Sept. 17, 2024
Jeff Johnston, EGLE Public Information Officer, [email protected], 517-231-9304
Dr. Thomas McKenney, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, University of Michigan, [email protected]

*University of Michigan team will lead state’s maritime strategy development*

*"Grant of nearly $200,000 administered by EGLE’s Office of the Great Lakes sets stage for climate action, environmental justice, sustainability"*

Michigan has selected a team from the University of Michigan’s department of Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering to develop a Michigan maritime strategy focused on climate action.

The team, led by Associate Professor of Engineering Practice Dr. Thomas McKenney, will receive $199,993 in funding to engage stakeholders and tribal nations to develop a strategy to advance greening, electrification, decarbonization, equity and environmental justice, infrastructure, and sustainability of Michigan’s maritime sector while ensuring efficient movement of goods.

Stakeholders include state, local, and federal agencies; port authorities; terminal operators; ship owners; recreational boaters; marina operators; harbor communities; tourism organizations; and community organizations.

The project is part of a larger collaborative effort led by the Office of the Great Lakes (OGL) in Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), with support from other EGLE divisions, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME). The effort focuses on supporting Michigan’s blue economy and the long-term sustainability of the maritime sector – commercial shipping, ferries, and recreational boating – and ports and harbors.

The maritime strategy will help achieve Michigan’s goals under the MI Healthy Climate Plan [ [link removed] ] by reducing carbon emissions in all aspects of the maritime economy. The strategy will recommend policies and actions that prioritize and advance equity and environmental justice, address historical harms, and create new opportunities for Michiganders. The strategy also will advance goals and priorities of other state and regional strategies and support MDOT’s newly created Maritime and Port Facility Assistance Office [ [link removed] ], tasked with developing a statewide strategic maritime plan.

The new grant is co-funded by EGLE’s Office of the Great Lakes through the Michigan Great Lakes Protection Fund and Materials Management Division, MDOT, and OFME. The OGL will administer the grant.

For more information, please contact OGL’s Great Lakes Policy Specialist Simon Bélisle, [email protected] or 517-331-6390, or Great Lakes Senior Advisor and Strategist Emily Finnell, [email protected] or 517-599-1330.

###

________________________________________________________________________









 

To request this material in an alternative format, contact [email protected] or call 800-662-9278.

EGLE does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, age, national origin, color, marital status, disability, political beliefs, height, weight, genetic information, or sexual orientation in the administration of any of its programs or activities, and prohibits intimidation and retaliation, as required by applicable laws and regulations.

 

Instagram [ [link removed] ] Linkedin [ [link removed] ] X [ [link removed] ] YouTube [ [link removed] ] MiEnvironment [ [link removed] ] GovDelivery [ [link removed] ] Facebook [ [link removed] ]

If you wish to no longer receive emails from us, 
please update your preferences here:
Manage Preferences [ [link removed] ]  |  Help [ [link removed] ]

Need further assistance?
Contact Us <[email protected]>  |  Provide Feedback <[email protected]>

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy · Constitution Hall · 525 West Allegan Street · PO Box 30473 · Lansing, MI 48909 · 800-662-9278