Up in the air: Debates over the future of wind power in Michigan rev up

[marmar]

from the Detroit Metro Times:



Up in the air
Debates over the future of wind power in Michigan rev up

By Curt Guyette


Two recent events in the Detroit area represent what might be described as the yin and the yang of an issue expected to play a significant role in Michigan's environmental and economic future: wind power.

First there was the Michigan Wind Energy Conference, held in late April at Cobo Center. Among the highlights of the two-day gathering was an appearance by Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who came to tell a crowd of more than 700 hundred industry representatives, policymakers and environmental activists just how "bullish" she is on the idea of making Michigan a center of the wind industry.

The state, she said, can make a transformation from the "rust belt" to the "green belt" by aggressively pursuing policies that promote clean energy alternatives to the burning of fossil fuels. Along with solar, geothermal, biofuels and conservation programs, a key piece of this transformation is the rapidly expanding wind-energy sector.

Bolstered by passage of a law two years ago that requires the state's utilities to produce 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2015, and aided by millions of dollars in federal stimulus money, Michigan is well-positioned, the governor asserted.

"We want to become the nation's place to manufacture the solutions to eliminating our reliance, or reducing our reliance, on foreign oil and fossil fuels," Granholm said. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.metrotimes.com/news/story.asp?id=15033

[Kaleva]

1. The Great Lakes are one of the best areas in the country...

for generating windpower.