Gov. Jim Doyle announced Tuesday he would hand over more than $7 million in grants to companies searching for clean energy technologies.

During a press conference, Doyle went on to say he hoped the state’s research capacity could make alternative energies more available and affordable across the country.

The grants are being distributed between eight local research companies as a part of Clean Energy Wisconsin, Doyle’s plan to move Wisconsin toward renewable resources.

“We are at a point, I hope, in this country where we all realize that our energy situation simply cannot be ignored,” Doyle said.

Two years ago, in response to Wisconsin’s dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels for agriculture, transportation, industry and utilities, Doyle signed his “Declaration of Energy Independence.” The Clean Energy Wisconsin plan was announced last spring.

The initiative’s main goal is to generate 25 percent of Wisconsin’s electricity and 25 percent of fuels from renewable sources by 2025. The state will aim to do so by conserving energy and producing more green energy.

“We have been on a course that is fattening the profits of the richest oil companies and channeling power to the most dangerous parts of the world,” Doyle said. “Put simply, we have energy policies that need to change and need to change dramatically.”

Doyle believes that Wisconsin has an opportunity to become the world’s renewable energy leader and said the benefits would extend beyond cutting-edge science jobs to bolstering the struggling job market to those in traditional occupations.

This year was the first year the grants were awarded. Doyle currently is planning on continuing the grants for 10 years.

C 5-6 Technologies Inc. was one of the eight research companies selected for a grant after an application process. The missions of the companies chosen includes advances in wind energy, biofuels and solar energy.

“We are still in our research phase of scientific work, and it is hard to raise money in that phase,” said John Biondi, president of C 5-6 Technologies, Inc. “Most people want to see a product closer to commercialization, so this grant is really important to us.”