August 22, 2012
Michigan

Board to meet on wind zoning

By Mary Drier, Staff Writer | www.tuscolatoday.com 21 August 2012

AKRON – The next wind project in Tuscola County is starting to take shape.

The Akron Township Board’s Planning Committee will meet 5 p.m. Wednesday (today) at the township hall on wind zoning.

During the meeting, the committee is expected to review proposed ordinances, and could approve forwarding the ordinances to the board for their approval to become a wind zoning ordinance.

Once developed, the wind ordinances will govern the placement of the wind turbines, the location, setbacks and more.

Approximately 80 wind turbines are in the planning stages to be constructed within the township.

When the zoning is in place, Akron Township will be ready to be the next township in Tuscola County for wind development.

Gilford Township is the first in the county with wind turbines in the process of going up. Gilford Township officials approved the construction of 63 turbines by NextEra Energy Resources LLC for their farm which will consist of 75 turbines over all. The other seven are to be built in Blumfield Township.

Plus, Gilford and Akron townships aren’t the only ones being considered for wind-farm development. Other townships the Michigan Wind Energy Resources Zone Board (WERZ) identified for potential wind harvest farms are: Almer Charter, Columbia, Denmark, Elkland, Eillington, Elmwood, Fairgrove, Juniata, Novesta, Wisner, and most of the townships in Huron County, including Sebewaing.

During a comprehensive study of wind in the U.S., Michigan was ranked 14th for wind energy potential.

Wind harvesting ties in with the state’s mandate that energy companies have at least 10 percent of their power come from renewable sources by 2015.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2012/08/22/board-to-meet-on-wind-zoning/