State report says wind turbines would spin in Saginaw Bay
Another report says Saginaw Bay is a great place for offshore wind development.
A Michigan Great Lakes Wind Council report released Wednesday says the middle of Saginaw Bay and the northern shoreline of Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula are the best locations for offshore wind farms in the lakes.
The council includes Bay County Executive Thomas L. Hickner.
According to the report, 20 percent or 7,874 square miles, of the 38,000 square miles of state-owned Great Lakes bottomlands has a depth of 30 meters or less, which is practicable for offshore wind development, state energy officials said in a news release.
To protect natural resources, the council has identified specific areas and resources that need to be protected by a buffer zone.
Other areas such as navigation channels, airport setbacks, and military operation areas also would be excluded.
The council also recommends a package of legislative and rule changes to help guide the development of offshore wind energy in the state.
A study in 2008 by the Michigan State University Land Policy Institute estimated a potential to generate more than 300,000 megawatts of electricity from offshore wind in Michigan’s portion of the Great Lakes.
The council recommends that it continue to identify areas for offshore wind and to solicit input from the public through Sept. 1, 2010.
The report is online at www.michiganglowcouncil.org.
The Detroit Free Press has more.
By Jeff Kart
The Bay City Times
3 September 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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