LOCATION/TYPE

NEWS HOME

[ exact phrase in "" • results by date ]

[ Google-powered • results by relevance ]


Archive
RSS

Add NWW headlines to your site (click here)

Get weekly updates

WHAT TO DO
when your community is targeted

RSS

RSS feeds and more

Keep Wind Watch online and independent!

Donate via Paypal

Donate via Stripe

Selected Documents

All Documents

Research Links

Alerts

Press Releases

FAQs

Campaign Material

Photos & Graphics

Videos

Allied Groups

Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005.

News Watch Home

Muskegon County wind-farm investigation begins with $110,000 payment from Gamesa 

Credit:  By Eric Gaertner | The Grand Rapids Press | www.mlive.com 20 July 2012 ~~

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – The first payment from the private wind-farm developer investigating a potential wind energy project on the Muskegon County wastewater site is in the hands of county officials.

Gamesa Energy USA, a subsidiary of a Spanish-based wind-energy company, sent a $110,000 check that the county received this week, marking a potential starting point for the company’s investigation of the site.

Muskegon County Wastewater Director Mark Eisenbarth said the company plans to install three meteorological or MET towers on the 11,000-acre site in Egelston and Moorland townships to measure wind speeds. The county has been gathering wind speed data for months with its portable wind speed test unit, but the company requires additional data before making a final decision on proceeding with construction of a wind farm.

Gamesa did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

County and Gamesa Energy officials signed a lease in May that gives the wind farm developer and wind turbine manufacturer the exclusive rights to investigate erecting commercial-scale wind turbines on the wastewater site. If all goes as planned and the upcoming studies produce favorable results, a 150-megawatt wind farm built could be producing energy in late 2014.

The county’s lease with Gamesa begins with the development term, which is five years long with two possible one-year extensions. The development term allows for completion of the necessary studies, including environmental, and pursuit of a long-term contract to sell the generated power.

The $110,000 payment covers the first two years of the lease and is nonrefundable.

The initial plan calls for placement of one MET tower north of White Road, one between White and Apple Avenue and one south of Apple Avenue. The specifications of the MET tower have yet to be determined, so the height of the tower is unknown.

County officials have previously estimated the value of the project at about $300 million. If deemed feasible, the company would erect turbines – possibly 30-75 depending on the size of the turbine – in various areas of the site.

Source:  By Eric Gaertner | The Grand Rapids Press | www.mlive.com 20 July 2012

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

Wind Watch relies entirely
on User Funding
   Donate via Paypal
(via Paypal)
Donate via Stripe
(via Stripe)

Share:

e-mail X FB LI TG TG Share


News Watch Home

Get the Facts
CONTACT DONATE PRIVACY ABOUT SEARCH
© National Wind Watch, Inc.
Use of copyrighted material adheres to Fair Use.
"Wind Watch" is a registered trademark.

 Follow:

Wind Watch on X Wind Watch on Facebook

Wind Watch on Linked In Wind Watch on Mastodon