This site is intended to be a easy and accessible source of information and news stories related to wind energy in the Great Lakes Region. If you have any information you would like posted, please contact [email protected]. Thanks!
Upcoming Webinar:
Windustry and the Great Lakes Regional Wind Energy Institute is excited to host a webinar titled, "Offshore Wind Potential for the Great Lakes".
During this webinar we will discuss the legal, environmental, and engineering progress recently made by two Great Lakes States, Wisconsin and Michigan. We will hear from industry experts about the progress being made to develop offshore wind energy.
When: Friday, January 30, 2009 11 am EST (10 am EST)
To register, please contact Melissa Peterson at [email protected] or 612.870.3465
Detroit Edison Seeks Renewable Energy
Detroit Edison has issued a Request for Proposal to purchase Michigan-based renewable energy credits that will help the utility meet state requirements for providing electricity generated from renewable resources.
Earlier this year, the Michigan legislature passed a comprehensive energy reform package that included a "Renewable Portfolio Standard" which requires Michigan's electric utilities to serve 10 percent of their retail sales from renewable energy resources by 2015.
"This RFP is a first-step in Detroit Edison's plan to meet the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard," said Trevor F. Lauer, vice president of retail marketing for DTE Energy. "We are seeking renewable energy credits from qualified Michigan-based facilities to help us comply with provisions of the new energy legislation."
The RFP specifies that the renewable energy certificates must come from resources located in Michigan. Qualifying renewable technologies include energy produced from wind, solar, landfill gas, biomass, anaerobic digesters, geothermal, hydroelectric dams, industrial cogeneration and gasification facilities. Detroit Edison is seeking long-term agreements with providers.
Detailed bid documents are available at www.poweradvocate.com . Potential bidders must register on the PowerAdvocate website to access the bid documents. Bidder questions, which must be posted to the website, are due by Jan 13,2009. Responses to the RFP are due by Jan 23, 2009,
The State of Michigan is seeking proposals for a wind generator system to be installed at a new office building.
The state will be leasing the building in Bay City. This facility will be highly visible to travelers, and will undoubtedly get a lot of publicity. It behooves any developers of small wind energy systems to make a proposal thought this process. Please read the information below, with care, and follow the instructions about how to apply. Note that all vendors have to be registered with Michigan Department of Management and Budget (DMB) in order to be eligible to win this project bid.
This is to inform you that Request for Proposal#071I9200038 for a Wind Turbine for the Bay City District Office for the Department of Environmental Quality is posted on our website at www.michigan.gov/buymichiganfirst. Click on "Bids
and Proposals", then "Requests for Proposal" to download Form DMB 285 and RFP Attachment 1.
Questions are due by Friday, November 14, 2008 by 3:00 P.M.
Bids are due on Tuesday, December 9, 2008 by 3:00 P.M.
Wind Energy Siting & Policy Issues: Workshops for Michigan's Renewable Energy
With Michigan’s growth in wind energy dependent on community adoption of the necessary wind siting laws, Michigan Citizen Planner is offering a “What You Need to Know about Wind Energy Siting and Policy Issues” workshop at nine locations throughout Michigan during December 2008. Sponsored by Michigan Farm Bureau and Michigan State University, the 3½-hour workshops will provide planning and zoning officials, local leaders, concerned citizens, farmers and landowners interested in wind the tools and resources necessary to create and implement a strategic plan for wind energy development in their communities.
In response to Governor Granholm signing into law an energy package ensuring that a portion of Michigan’s future energy needs are met through renewable resources, wind power companies are prospecting for new sites in communities to locate wind turbines.
Locations
The workshops will be held from 6pm-9:30pm on the following dates at the following locations:
December 2, 2008 - Holiday Inn West Bay, Traverse City
December 3, 2008 - Michigan Tech University, Houghton
December 4, 2008 - Marquette Holiday Inn, Marquette
December 8, 2008 - Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center, Midland
December 8, 2008 - Ramada Inn, Ludington
December 9, 2008 - Mendel Center, Benton Harbor
December 9, 2008 - Tuscola Technology Center, Caro
December 10, 2008 - MSU Extension, Kent County, Grand Rapids
December 11, 2008 - Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, East Lansing
Registration & Fees
Cost to attend is $45 for Farm Bureau members and Master Citizen Planners, all others pay $55. To register and learn more, download the registration form.
Wind on the Water (WOW) releases study about off shore wind energy
On Oct 24,2008 the Wisconsin PSC released the final DRAFT report of the Wind on the Water (WOW) Study Group and its supporting Work Groups. The report summarizes a preliminary investigation into off-shore wind generation, and includes key findings and challenges. You can find a current PDF of the final draft report by viewing documents related to docket number 5-EI-144 by clicking the link below:
http://psc.wi.gov/apps/erf_share/view/viewdoc.aspx?docid=102628
The public comment period for the report is currently open. Here’s a direct link to the public comment area on the Wisconsin PSC web site:
http://psc.wi.gov/apps/dockets/comment.aspx
The PSC will take comments on the report until Monday, November 10, 2008.
The WOW Study Group intends to meet one more time before the report is completed and sent to the Commission to discuss the public comments received and finalize the report. Please watch this docket’s “Meetings” page on the Commission Initiatives portion of the PSC web site for meeting details and updates.