October 12, 2011
Michigan

BWE rolls out proposal for Ogden Twp. wind project; Protesters object outside Legion

The Advance, blissfieldadvance.com 11 October 2011

Blissfield Wind Energy hosted a public open house last Tuesday evening at the Blissfield American Legion. BWE, a partnership between industrial wind energy developer Exelon Wind and local firm Great Lakes Wind, answered many of the public’s questions regarding the proposed Blissfield area wind energy installation and unveiled a tentative project layout for Ogden Township.

Several representatives of BWE, as well as the developer’s third-party consultants, were posted around the Legion, and they greeted a steady crowd of people.
Environmental Resources Management assessed the potential environmental impact of a wind farm on the area.

Representatives say their studies indicate that there will be no significant effect on bird or bat populations.

Peter Guldberg, an acoustics expert for consulting firm Tech Environmental, conducted a study to predict the sound level produced by wind turbines. He says his firm tries to model the worst-case scenario, so as to err on the side of conservatism.

Guldberg was also responsible for developing a layout plan that minimizes the project’s acoustic impact, and he considers his map of Ogden Township a success. Most square-mile sections of the township would contain one or two wind turbines. One section may contain three.

Though the map showed 47 turbines, representatives of BWE say the project will ultimately have a maximum of 45.

Outside the Legion several protesters, many of them members of the anti-wind energy Interstate Informed Citizens Coalition, carried signs with slogans criticizing the Blissfield Wind Energy project and its supporters.

Josh VanCamp, an Ogden resident and outspoken opponent of wind energy, said BWE was asking the township board to circumvent the process of regulation.

“The township’s not in the business of making deals with the wind company,” said VanCamp. “To make a deal just because it accommodates their project is not fair to the residents.”

Copyright 2011, River Raisin Publications. For the full story by James McClenathen, please see the Oct. 12, 2011, edition of The Advance.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/10/12/bwe-rolls-out-proposal-for-ogden-twp-wind-project-protesters-object-outside-legion/