July 5, 2021
Michigan

Circle Power weighs in on Stanton and Adams Townships

Keweenaw Report | July 5, 2021 | www.keweenawreport.com

Circle Power is a renewable energy company who plans to develop twelve wind turbines near Stanton and Adams townships in Houghton County. Chris Moore, the company’s Vice President, said there were many factors that brought them to the copper country.

The line we interconnect with is owned by ATC, but the rules governing interconnection are by MISO. MISO has a very deliberate process that you are required to go through to be able to connect to the transmission line. And as you’re probably aware Stanton township is working on an ordinance right now. Then we’ll have to review the requirements of that ordinance, to see if we have to move machine around. So were looking at, to get the permits will be a 3-4 year process. And construction will be a one year process.

The benefits that will be brought to to the community will be some employment opportunities, $15 million in tax revenue, and 2/3 of the energy produced will go to UPPCO to sell back to residents. But some in the community still have concerns. Chris went further into clarifying some of the common misconceptions surrounding wind energy.

The couple that come up the most often is health affects, sound is also something that comes up. Sound is measurable, there have been dozens and dozens of studies in the United states that show there are no negative physical health affects from turbines. I think the American Clean Power Association does a good job of providing information. But I would also suggest, there was a webinar put on, that Stanton Township helped facilitate. And if you go to that website, a link to that webinar is available. The other thing is that they do provide benefits. In particular this area, 2/3 of the project output, and hopefully the last third, we’ll know by the end of this summer, is being sold locally to UPPCO.

Circle Power’s plans to develop wind energy in the copper country are still in it’s very early stages. Previously members of Circle Power worked on Mendota Hills in Illinois. Which has seen strong production since being completed. Circle Power hopes to bring a similar result to the Upper Peninsula.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2021/07/05/circle-power-weighs-in-on-stanton-and-adams-townships/