October 4, 2013
Michigan

County planners give OK to newest wind farm

BY NICHOLAS GRENKE, Tribune Staff Writer | Huron Daily Tribune | Published: Friday, October 4, 2013 | www.michigansthumb.com

HURON COUNTY – Another wind farm appears to be on the way in Huron County.

The Huron County Planning Commission on Wednesday night voted for conditional approval of the Big Turtle Wind Farm in Rubicon Township. Big Turtle’s manager, Heritage Sustainable Energy LLC, received permission to start on access roads for the 10-turbine project and 20 megawatt park, but construction of wind turbines will have to wait at least a week.

“We feel good about the plan we’ve put in front of you, said Rick Wilson, vice president of operations at Heritage Energy. “We’ve done a lot of work in the last month and brought a revised site plan to you.”

Final approval for the wind turbine plan could be decided by county commissioners at their meeting on Tuesday.

Planning Commission member Carl Duda said he was in favor of the project because the access lines for the park would travel along property lines. In the past, access roads have interfered with agricultural production.

Dr. Robert Oakes also raised a concern about future inflation curbing tax revenue from the wind farms.

Heritage Sustainable Energy presented a plan for the wind farm on Sept. 4, but commissioners asked for revisions. New factors in the site plan include an updated complaint resolutions guarantee that will get crews on the ground in less than 24 hours if there is an issue with a wind turbine. Other stipulations include no pad-mounted transformers will be installed in the project.

Joel Weber voted to abstained. Member Jeffrey Krohn was not present at the meeting.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/10/04/county-planners-give-ok-to-newest-wind-farm/