Gamesa recently signed a contract with Heritage Sustainable Energy for the supply of 30 MW as part of phase two of the Big Turtle wind farm, located in northeast Michigan (US). The agreement also encompasses the provision of O&M services for 12 years. Under the terms of the contract, Gamesa will handle the transportation, installation, and…
New report: Over $3.59 billion in savings possible on Michigan electric bills by growing wind energy
Michigan households and business owners can keep more money in their pockets, and rural Michigan landowners will receive millions of dollars more a year in land lease payments, by building new wind farms that tap into more of the state’s low-cost wind energy resources. That’s according to a new report, “A wind vision for new…
Election 2012: Michigan voters deny renewable standard
By more than a million votes, Michigan residents voted against a constitutional amendment that would have established a renewable energy standard for the state. About 65% of voters opposed the Michigan Clean Renewable Electric Energy Standard, known as the 25 x ’25 initiative, according to unofficial poll results. “Voters clearly recognized that the state’s constitution…
Wind in the Great Lake State
Michigan’s industrial base, tuned to supporting the needs of the automotive industry, has all the expertise and capacity to handle the manufacturing needs of the wind energy industry. In fact, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation federal studies rank Michigan among the top four states in industrial capacity to develop and manufacture wind energy systems.
Machine shop leans out operations, sets target on wind
Weak economies hit the manufacturing industry hard, especially in Michigan, but machine shops with the flexibility to accommodate change, diversify their customer bases and run lean, efficient operations are well-positioned to survive. Merrill Tool, a 40-year-old grinding, milling, and turning shop in Merrill, Mich., followed a strategy of diversification and lean operations even before the…
Lake Michigan wind farm sounds good but….
Scandia Wind Offshore was formed in response to the attributes of West Michigan for offshore wind farm development. Scandia is pitching a plan to conduct studies to develop a 500 MW wind farm in Lake Michigan, outside of Muskegon and Ottawa counties. A 150-MW onshore wind farm at the Wastewater Management System in Muskegon County…
Good wind for windpower along the Michigan coast
The Department of Energy’s Wind Program and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have published a wind resource map for the state of Michigan. The resource map shows wind speed estimates at 50 and 80-m above ground and depicts the resource that could be used for utility-scale wind development. As a renewable resource, wind is…
Turbines power town hall
Five Windspire wind-and-solar hybrid turbines were installed in August 2010 on a hill behind the township hall in Genoa, Michigan. The 30-ft tall turbines are each rated for 1.2 kW, a total of 6 kW. System experts expect its 9.5 kW total output to provide about 20% of the hall’s electrical needs. On a windy…
Tower manufacturer breaks ground on new factory
Ventower Industries has broken ground on its 115,000 ft2, state of the art, wind-tower manufacturing facility. Earlier this year, the company’s design, the Ventower, won an advanced-energy manufacturing tax credit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The company was one of 12 to received support from Michigan’s congressional delegation. The company says…