It’s no secret the city of Flint, Mich., has fallen on tough times lately.

With the failure of General Motors (GM) and the struggling economy in general, residents of Flint and former auto industry workers have fought to find ways to make ends meet. Electrician Howard Croft, a 15-year veteran of General Motors, was one of those people—until he realized the economic power of solar energy.

After GM closed its doors, Croft began installing solar in Florida after the collapse of GM and earned his certification with the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), the gold standard of certification in the solar industry.

Shortly after, the Michigan Department of Labor got in touch with him and asked him to come back to Flint to help develop the solar industry in Michigan. So he moved home and founded Mid-Michigan Solar, the only NABCEP certified solar company in the state and the only solar installer within 45 miles of Flint.

“Flint has always been about General Motors, and now we don’t have that,” said Croft. “It’s time we look at solar and the renewable portfolio standards and realize how many jobs we can create and the domino effect solar job creation could have on the economy. We’re fortunate to be in a position to help Flint rebound, and I’m proud to be a part of that. It feels great to know I can make a difference here at home.”

Croft is part of an energy council formed by the mayor of Flint and a group of young entrepreneurs called the Genesee Regional Young Professionals. He notes that community involvement, education, and exposing kids and students to a career in solar are of the utmost importance.

“Kids used to have GM to aspire to and the auto trade to learn,” he said. “It’s crucial there’s something to replace that.”

Citing the success of solar in places in Europe with similar—and even less sunny—climates, Croft notes there is huge potential for success.

“There’s still a learning curve to deal with here in Michigan,” he said. “But I don’t define success in terms of total kilowatts, but in terms of how many people in Michigan are behind us, the community involvement, and the fact that I went from opening a business last year to having 9-10 people on staff and several contractor and builder partners.”

Image courtesy of Mid-Michigan Solar.