In this episode of GreenLancer's Solar Spotlight, Nick Schlueter spoke with Cory Connolly, VP of Policy for the Michigan Energy Innovation Business Council (MIEIBC), a business trade association representing companies in Michigan's growing advanced energy sector.
Cory was born and raised in northern Michigan and has made it his life's work to transition Michigan to a cleaner and greener future. Cory and Nick discuss how Cory first got involved in renewable energy, how far we have come, and how far we still have to go.
Nick: Joining me today is the Vice President of policy with the Michigan Energy
Innovation Business Council, Cory Connolly. Cory is a tremendous advocate for clean energy within the state of Michigan and has devoted countless hours of his life to renewable energy.
Cory is a graduate of Michigan State University (just like me) with an extensive background in clean energy where he has been in positions such as an energy consultant with Five Lakes Energy, a senior research associate at the Environmental Law Institute, and even the COO at Levin Energy Partners. Cory and I have only known each other for a few months as he is the Director of the Michigan Clean Energy Leaders project, a group that he was kind enough to
select me to be a part of this year. Cory thanks for joining me on the Solar Spotlight!
Cory: Yeah, thanks for having me!
Nick: Happy to have you man well. While we've got everyone's attention can you can you tell us a little bit about your upbringing and at what point did you decide to devote your life to what you're doing with renewable energy and the environment and policy change?
Cory: Yeah! So I'm originally from Northport, Michigan, which folks if you could see me put my hand up it's the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula so right at the tip of the pinky up there. It's a town of about 600 folks in the winter time (more in the summer) and and so I grew up there and ended up going to Michigan State studying international relations. I thought I wanted to go somewhere abroad to do international development work, et cetera. During school I got linked up with this group called the Roosevelt Institute which is a self-fashioned sort of student think tank across the country and we were working in at the local chapter on wind and solar and net metering policy and feed in tariffs and everything and I became totally fascinated by it!
Click here to listen to the full episode...
If you would like to be featured in an upcoming episode of GreenLancer’s Solar Spotlight, email nick@greenlancer.com.
For more information on the Michigan EIBC, please visit https://mieibc.org
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