Testing The Waters For Wind

Before ruling out wind power in the Great Lakes, let’s see how much power our wind has first. That is what the Muskegon Chronicle editorial board is advocating.

The Chronicle has been reporting on the many opinions surrounding a possible wind farm in Lake Michigan for weeks. Now they are weighing in and supporting a floating data-collection platform in Lake Michigan as part of a two to three year wind study.

Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) in Muskegon is planning on leading the data collection platform and study. The program already has funding from federal and state grants, but they are looking for more help from the private sector. MAREC will use this funding to collect unbiased wind data year round, measuring the potential power of Lake Michigan wind.

The Chronicle is hoping MAREC regularly releases the data in order to help West Michigan communities who will be facing proposals for wind farms.

As a non-partisan voice for the environment, Michigan LCV Education Fund works to pass stronger clean energy laws at both the state and federal level to bring much-needed jobs to our state AND protect the health of our citizens. We, too, see the value in gathering data from an organization not in the business of generating power and are looking forward to the data the MAREC study will eventually provide. Depending on the results, it could be a much needed gust of wind in Michigan's renewable energy sail.

Muskegon Chronicle New MAREC project will clear up wind questions.pdf