Doyle outlines plans for $150 million initiative to help expand bio-fuels and manufacturers

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In the next few weeks, Gov. Jim Doyle will announce details of a $150-million, ten-year initiative to make Wisconsin a national leader in bio and alternative fuels, and to help the state's manufacturers.

"This is a huge opportunity for us to develop a major segment of our economy around producing energy from green sources," Doyle said Monday in a year-end interview.

"We can be an absolute world leader in this," Doyle said.

Doyle says this is possible by building on the state's agricultural capacity, its forests and the research capacity of the University of Wisconsin.

He noted that the UW had received $125 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to create one of three centers for research on alternative fuels in the U.S.

"It is a huge, huge thing for us. The opportunity is now to be able to do that research and help turn that research into job producing businesses," he said.

In addition, Doyle said he will be announcing some tax policy changes that will really encourage companies to locate their research and development operations in Wisconsin.

"We will certainly continue the success we've had in helping startup companies, particularly around biotechnology," Doyle said.

The governor says that he plans a significant economic development package which will expand on the "Grow Wisconsin" plan started four years ago.

"Now, the focus will be on encouraging more investment in Wisconsin, creation of more jobs, and modernizing manufacturing and agricultural operations in the state," Doyle said.

"I'll be announcing in the early part of next year, leading up to the State of the State Message, a number of significant new steps we should be taking," he added.

Some of the programs have already been announced such as the ways to use tax credits to help meat processors and cheese makers expand.

"We have successfully helped dairies produce more milk and now we need to help cheese makers make more cheese with that milk. Similarly with meat processing, "Doyle said.

He added that there will be initiatives relating to how the state can help manufacturers become productive and to help them find new markets.

Doyle said he does not expect to offer a budget adjustment bill in the forthcoming session.

"But, you never know. In case something happens in the economy. In this budget, the statutory reserves are back up to where the law says they should be at $65 million," he said.

He also expects to offer legislation to allow municipalities to 'carry forward' unused levy limit credits.

He vetoed portions of that language in the budget in order to achieve another veto's goal.

"I believe municipalities should be able to carry it (limit credits) over. In fact, the provision in current law that allows them is the one I proposed and put in a couple of years ago," Doyle said.

He said that without the ability to carry over the credits communities would have no incentive to keep themselves below the levy limit.

"The levy limit, in fact, becomes not the ceiling but the floor. I think it is important that we get that done," Doyle said.

Tags: northland, agriculture, agribusiness