Wind Power News: Michigan
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch.
Wind turbines in Michigan criticized at Bay County meeting
KAWKAWLIN, MI – Township officials from around Michigan and a group of about 300 citizens gathered Tuesday in Bay County at a forum where they heard from a speaker critical of wind energy. Energy companies are looking at several sites in Bay County as possible locations for a new wind turbine farm. Keynote speaker Kevon Martis, a senior policy fellow E and E Legal, spoke to the audience at the Beaver Township Community Hall Tuesday, Oct. 16, about some of . . . Complete story »
County official urges pursuit of noise test
BAD AXE – A Huron County Commissioner plans to present a resolution next week to address the county’s wind turbine noise complaint dilemma. According to Commissioner David G. Peruski, who chairs the board’s legislative committee, the resolution would include the following requirements: • If a test shows a violation of the noise requirements of the county’s wind ordinance, a civil infraction would be issued. • If landowners do not give permission to test on their land, their complaint would be closed. . . . Complete story »
Kawkawlin hosts meeting focusing on drafting common wind turbine language
Wind turbines have become increasingly controversial for rural residents in Bay County and elsewhere due to issues like noise, vibration and shadow flicker. Officials from several townships in Bay, Sanilac, Huron and Tuscola Counties joined as many as 500 other people at the Beaver Community Hall in Kawkawlin Tuesday to find ways to draft common wind turbine ordinance language to protect people’s health and safety. One of the meeting organizers, Joy Buchanon of Midland, called it an effective way to . . . Complete story »
Turbine information shared
If you want to allow wind turbines in your township or limit them, it is possible by using zoning regulations, according to Sarah Mills. Mills, a senior project manager at the Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, spoke to a crowd at Union City Middle School last week. The two-hour session was held for the Sherwood Township Planning Commission, but representatives of the four townships where DTE has signed a majority of its land leases attended. DTE . . . Complete story »
Packed house sees turbines get approved
L’ANSE – The L’Anse Township Board approved ordinances allowing large wind energy conversion (LWEC) systems to be permitted in Forest Resource districts, as well as lowering the minimum blade clearance from 75 feet to 58 feet, as requested by Renewable Energy Systems (RES) and Weyerhaeuser. The minimum blade clearance is the height from the ground when the blade is at its lowest point in rotation. Sean Stocker, project manager for RES, says the lower blade clearance will allow RES to consider . . . Complete story »
PI County imposes restrictions as wind turbines proposed
ROGERS CITY – The Presque Isle County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved ordinance changes to place limits on proposed wind turbines. A public hearing was held Sep. 20 to discuss the potential installation of wind turbines in Moltke Township. The meeting prompted the county’s Planning Commission to review the zoning ordinance for the area. It was discussed at the last county board meeting, but commissioners decided to wait to make any decisions until they could further review it. They approved . . . Complete story »
County continues to discuss noise complaints
BAD AXE – The Huron County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday opted not to hire ABD Engineering & Design to help investigate wind turbine noise complaints. Also, the board unanimously voted to expand its contract with the Clark Hill law firm to include a review of the county’s turbine complaint process. Commissioner John A. Nugent brought forth a late motion to expand the contract. Before voting with the rest of the board not to hire ABD, Nugent said he didn’t support . . . Complete story »
Wind turbines zoning to come after election
UNION TOWNSHIP – Trustees of Union Township will wait until after the Nov. 6 election before taking any action to implement zoning in the township. The group opposed to wind turbines, planned by DTE, for parts of Union, Sherwood, Matteson, and Batavia Townships have been pushing for strict regulations. Tuesday night, pressed by Concerned Citizens of Branch County to act now, each member of the board said they would wait to create zoning regulations for the township, the only of one . . . Complete story »
L’Anse town board challenger seeking ordinance review
Wallace Sweeney, better known around L’Anse as Buddy, is running as an independent against Republican Brian Kissel for a partial term on the L’Anse Township Board. The term will end in November of 2020. Sweeney has been studying Michigan township law and the L’Anse Township ordinances. He said the zoning ordinances, originally drafted by U.P. Engineers and Architects around 2011, are “terrible.” “There’s so many mistakes in there, it’s unreal,” Sweeney said. “The whole thing needs to be redone.” He . . . Complete story »
Commissioners asked to deal with wind turbines
A Union Township resident asked the Branch County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to put together a county wind ordinance concerning industrial wind turbines. Right now, any decisions on zoning ordinances to govern the impact of wind turbines would lie with the various township boards. Marilyn Johnson felt a county wide ordinance on wind turbines would bring uniformity. DTE Energy site manager Jeff Haines told commissioners earlier this summer they were in the early stages in Union, Sherwood, Matteson and . . . Complete story »
