Wind power in Michigan

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The first commercial wind turbine in Michigan, installed in Traverse City in 1996

Wind power in Michigan is a developing industry. The industrial base from the automotive industry has led to a number of companies producing wind turbine parts in the state; however, the development of wind farms in the state has lagged behind. As of January 2013, there were 641 wind turbines in the state with a nameplate capacity of 978 MW.[1]

Michigan's requirement for 10 percent renewable energy by 2015 has led to increased alternative development in the state since it was passed in 2008. A ballot initiative requiring 25% by 2025 failed in 2012.[2] In 2011, the Environmental Law & Policy Center identified over 100 businesses in Michigan involved in engineering and manufacturing wind turbine components, employing 4,000 people.[3]

Michigan Wind Generation Capacity by Year
Megawatts of Installed Generating Capacity[4]

Wind power produced 0.3% of Michigan's power in 2010.[5] Installed wind capacity more than doubled in 2011, to a total of 377 MW nameplate capacity.

The first commercial wind turbine installed in the state, a 0.6 MW model, was erected in Traverse City in 1996. It remained the only turbine for several years. Traverse City Light & Power has announced a project to generate 30% of its power from renewable sources by 2020.[6] In 2001 Mackinaw City installed 2 turbines rated at 0.6 MW each. Laker Elementary School in the Thumb region installed three 65KW turbines and a 10KW one, totaling 0.2 MW in 2005.[7] The first wind farm in the state was the Harvest Wind Farm in the Thumb, opened in December 2007, with 32 turbines producing a rated 53 MW.[8]

The largest wind farm in Michigan, the 213 MW Gratiot County Wind Project, entered full operation in June 2012.[9]

Michigan Wind 1, a 46 turbine wind farm near Ubly, with 69 MW capacity

A number of new projects are proposed in Michigan. In the Thumb region, which has most of Michigan's high-quality onshore wind, 140 miles of new 345 kilovolt lines are being built to support the hundreds of proposed new turbines.[10]

Michigan has potential for offshore wind power in the Great Lakes but development has been delayed by political considerations. A proposed wind farm in Lake Michigan at Ludington was rejected in 2010[11]

Contents

Wind farms [edit]

Name Size (MW) Location[12]
Beebe Wind Farm 81.6 Gratiot County [13]
Garden Wind Farm 28 Garden Township, Delta County[14]
DTE/Invenergy Gratiot County Wind Project 213 Gratiot County
Harvest Wind Farm I 53 Huron County
Harvest Wind Farm II 59 Huron County
Lake Winds 100.8 Mason County [15][16]
Mackinaw City 1.8 Mackinaw City
McKinley 14 Huron County
Michigan Wind 1 69 Ubly
Michigan Wind 2 90 Minden City[17]
Minden 32 Sanilac
Sigel 64 Huron County
Stoney Corners 60 McBain, Michigan[18]
Traverse City 0.6 Traverse City
Tuscola Bay 120 Tuscola, Bay, Saginaw counties

Wind generation [edit]

Michigan Wind Generation in 2011
Michigan Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh)
Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
2009 300 30 31 29 36 30 12 13 19 9 27 22 43
2010 360 36 23 32 36 27 17 16 20 32 33 39 46
2011 437 31 45 29 45 33 25 14 18 27 40 73 52
2012 80 67 75 66 52 55 33 56 65 113 100

Source:[19][20]

Michigan used 104,632 GWh in 2011.[21]

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ Michigan Utility Scale wind Farms, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, December 2012
  2. ^ Ballot Initiative Would More Than Double Michigan’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, CleanTechnica, Silvio Marcacci, January 15, 2012
  3. ^ The Solar and Wind Energy Supply Chain in Michigan, Environmental Law & Policy Center, 2011
  4. ^ "Wind Powering America: Installed U.S. Wind Capacity and Wind Project Locations". U.S. Department of Energy. 19 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012. 
  5. ^ Wind Energy Facts: Michigan, AWEA, January 2012
  6. ^ Traverse City’s Utility Goes Greener, Michigan Land Use Institute, Glen Puit, May 20, 2009
  7. ^ A Michigan school district goes green, inspiring young minds., EJ Magazine, Gordon Shetler, Spring 2008
  8. ^ Harvest Wind Farm Facts, Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, 2011
  9. ^ Michigan's Largest Wind Farm Enters Commercial Operation, North American Windpower, 06 June 2012
  10. ^ New Michigan transmission line to multiply wind capacity, Midwest Energy News, Jeff Kart, January 10, 2012
  11. ^ Off-Shore Wind Deal Goes South, Interlochen Public Radio, June 9, 2010
  12. ^ U.S. Wind Energy Projects - Michigan, AWEA, 2011
  13. ^ Michigan Wind, Exelon Corporation
  14. ^ Garden Wind Farm, Heritage Sustainable Energy
  15. ^ Lake Winds construction complete; Ludington-area wind farm praised for boosting Mason County, mlive.com, Dave Alexander, September 21, 2012
  16. ^ Wind turbines in motion: Lake Winds Energy Park up and running in Mason County, mlive.com, November 26, 2012
  17. ^ Exelon's Michigan Wind 2 Project Now Operational, PRNewswire-FirstCal, Jan. 5, 2012
  18. ^ Stoney Corners Wind Farm, Barton Marlow
  19. ^ EIA (July 27, 2012). "Electric Power Monthly Table 1.17.A.". United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2012-08-15. 
  20. ^ EIA (July 27, 2012). "Electric Power Monthly Table 1.17.B.". United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2012-08-15. 
  21. ^ EIA (February 2012). "Electric Power Monthly Table 5.4.B.". United States Department of Energy. p. 118. Retrieved 2012-11-23. 

External links [edit]

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