Wind power in Michigan
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. The development of wind farms in the state, however, has lagged behind. As of July 2017, there were over 900 wind turbines in the state with a nameplate capacity of 1760 MW.[1] Wind provided 4.2% of the state's electricity in 2016.[2]
Michigan's requirement for 10 percent renewable energy by 2015 has led to increased alternative development in the state since this law was passed in 2008. A ballot initiative requiring 25% by 2025 failed in 2012.[3]
The development of alternative energy sources has stimulated new businesses and employment. In 2011, the Environmental Law & Policy Center identified more than 100 businesses in Michigan involved in engineering and manufacturing wind turbine components, and employing 4,000 people.[4]
Megawatts of Installed Generating Capacity[5]
2017 partial data |
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] Huron County has the highest number of wind turbines in the state.
In 2010, wind power produced 0.3% of Michigan's electrical power.[9] Installed wind capacity more than doubled in 2011, to a total of 377 MW nameplate capacity.
The largest wind farm in Michigan, the 213 MW Gratiot County Wind Project, entered full operation in June 2012.[10]
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 allow the region to support hundreds of proposed new turbines.[11]
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.[12]
Wind farms
Name | Size (MW) | Location[13] |
---|---|---|
Apple Blossom Wind Farm | 100 | Huron County[14] |
Beebe Wind Farm | 81.6 | Gratiot County[15] |
Beebe 1B Wind Farm | 50.4 | Gratiot County |
Big Turtle Wind Farm | 20 | Huron County[16] |
Brookfield Wind Farm | 75 | Huron County[17] |
Cross Winds | 111 | Tuscola County[18] |
Cross Winds II | 44 | Tuscola County[19] |
Deerfield Wind Farm | 149 | Huron County[14] |
Echo Wind Park | 120 | Huron County[20] |
Garden Wind Farm | 28 | Garden Township, Delta County[21] |
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 Energy Park | 100.8 | Mason County[22][23] |
Mackinaw City | 1.8 | Mackinaw City |
McKinley | 14 | Huron County |
Michigan Wind 1 | 69 | Ubly |
Michigan Wind 2 | 90 | Minden City[24] |
Minden | 32 | Sanilac |
Pinnebog Wind Park | 50 | Huron County[25] |
Pheasant Run Wind I | 75 | Huron County |
Sigel | 64 | Huron County |
Stoney Corners | 60 | McBain, Michigan[26] |
Traverse City | 0.6 | Traverse City |
Tuscola Bay | 120 | Tuscola, Bay, Saginaw counties |
Tuscola II | 100 | Tuscola, Bay counties |
Wind generation
Wind generation (million kW-hours) |
Michigan Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Total | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
2013 | 2,800 | 309 | 259 | 256 | 294 | 218 | 142 | 128 | 137 | 176 | 230 | 374 | 279 |
2014 | 3,875 | 421 | 355 | 381 | 387 | 292 | 222 | 211 | 157 | 231 | 355 | 457 | 407 |
2015 | 4,778 | 501 | 406 | 472 | 435 | 409 | 262 | 227 | 246 | 279 | 515 | 533 | 492 |
2016 | 4,695 | 523 | 486 | 405 | 335 | 315 | 302 | 272 | 203 | 328 | 392 | 496 | 638 |
Michigan used 102,489 GWh in 2016.[31]
See also
References
- ↑ Michigan Utility Scale wind Farms, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, December 2013
- ↑ "Michigan Wind Energy" (PDF). U.S. Wind Energy State Facts. American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ↑ Ballot Initiative Would More Than Double Michigan’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, CleanTechnica, Silvio Marcacci, January 15, 2012
- ↑ The Solar and Wind Energy Supply Chain in Michigan, Environmental Law & Policy Center, 2011
- ↑ "WINDExchange: U.S. Installed Wind Capacity". U.S. Department of Energy. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- ↑ Traverse City’s Utility Goes Greener, Michigan Land Use Institute, Glen Puit, May 20, 2009
- ↑ Gordon Shetler, A Michigan school district goes green, inspiring young minds., EJ Magazine, Spring 2008
- ↑ Harvest Wind Farm Facts, Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, 2011
- ↑ Wind Energy Facts: Michigan, AWEA, January 2012
- ↑ Michigan's Largest Wind Farm Enters Commercial Operation, North American Windpower, 06 June 2012
- ↑ Jeff Kart, "New Michigan transmission line to multiply wind capacity", Midwest Energy News, January 10, 2012
- ↑ "Off-Shore Wind Deal Goes South", Interlochen Public Radio, June 9, 2010
- ↑ U.S. Wind Energy Projects - Michigan, AWEA, 2011
- 1 2 Table 6.3. New Utility Scale Generating Units by Operating Company, Plant, and Month, 2017, Electric Power Monthly, U.S. Energy Information Administration, April 25, 2017
- ↑ Michigan Wind, Exelon Corporation
- ↑ Big Turtle, Heritage Wind
- ↑ DTE Energy buys Brookfield Township wind park, DTE, Jun 2, 2014
- ↑ Consumers Energy Opens 111 MW Michigan Wind Farm
- ↑ Second Phase Of Cross Winds Energy Park Begins Operating In Michigan
- ↑ Turbines begin operation at DTE Energy's Echo Wind Park
- ↑ Garden Wind Farm, Heritage Sustainable Energy
- ↑ Lake Winds construction complete; Ludington-area wind farm praised for boosting Mason County, mlive.com, Dave Alexander, September 21, 2012
- ↑ Wind turbines in motion: Lake Winds Energy Park up and running in Mason County, mlive.com, November 26, 2012
- ↑ Exelon's Michigan Wind 2 Project Now Operational, PRNewswire-FirstCal, Jan. 5, 2012
- ↑ DTE Energy’s Pinnebog Wind Park begins commercial operation in Michigan, Wind Power Engineering and Development, Michelle Froese, December 28, 2016
- ↑ Stoney Corners Wind Farm, Barton Marlow
- ↑ EIA (July 27, 2012). "Electric Power Monthly Table 1.14.A." United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- ↑ EIA (July 27, 2012). "Electric Power Monthly Table 1.14.B." United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- ↑ EIA (February 2013). "Electric Power Monthly Table 1.17.A." (PDF). United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
- ↑ "Electricity Data browser". U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- ↑ EIA (December 2017). "Electric Power Annual". United States Department of Energy. p. Table 2.8. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
External links
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