News & Fun in Michigan
The area around the Great Lakes offers an opportunity for renewable wind energy production. With offshore winds almost constantly blowing there are many areas in Michigan where wind energy projects can be successful. We cover a few stories here.
Consumers Energy announced Gratiot Wind Farm Project is operational and contributes 150 megawatts of renewable energy to Michigan customers. Gratiot Farms Wind Project went online on December 16 and featured 60 turbines with a 150-megawatt capacity, enough to power about 58,000 …
Wind project developer, Liberty Power, proposes a project to add more turbines to its portfolio in the Upper Thumb. The hearing will review the application and take comments from the public.
There is no question that technologies such as wind turbines are less efficient than continuing to use fossil fuel. So why are we investing so much in renewable in terms of tax breaks and legislation? This video presents a non political outline of the situation that planet finds itself in. It does not offer any solutions. This was first posted on Thumbwind in 2012. Three years later it resonates even more.
There is a high potential that Michigan and the Upper Thumb region will start seeing more users of home wind turbines in use for farms, homes, and cottages. Advances in technology have made this potential more affordable. Even “Big Box” home improvement stores have wind generation products for sale for home use.
It’s getting simple to make your own renewable energy source using material found in your home or even salvaged from an old washing machine or treadmill. We explored the web for some top ideas on what it would take to create a hobby turbine or solar panel that could actually offset some energy expenses at your farm, cabin, boat, or cottage.
Huron County Michigan’s 2015 moratorium on new development of wind power in Michigan’s Thumb gave rise to the possibility that other wind and solar projects would pause in the Great Lakes region. That didn’t happen
Consumers Energy has been conducting its own alternative energy projects since 2014. It owns and operates six industrial wind farms in Michigan and Ohio. The company contributes over 1000 Megawatts of power from its wind farm base.
Over the past twenty years, the Great Lakes region has been steadily increasing the number of new wind projects and wind energy output. Now that pace looks to have slowed with more local communities placing acting tighter zoning control over industrial wind development.
