by Bruce Goodman

New forms of distributed energy are one of the promises of renewable energy. There can be many smaller, even very small, electric generating stations dispersed throughout Michigan producing energy from local resources. It is the energy equivalent of buying local, and does not require transmission grid upgrades. But utility-imposed standby rates stand as an impediment. Ostensibly designed to compensate a utility for providing backup power to self generation, standby charges are too often structured to discourage distributed generation. These charges take away the economic incentive to build small energy centers. It is time to take the gloves off and either have reasonable standby rates or institute net metering for sources up to 5 MW. The MPSC can do the former; the Legislature must do the latter. Michigan’s energy future depends on it.

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by Bruce Goodman

There are a number of factors identified as impediments to the robust development of offshore wind energy projects in the Great Lakes.  Amoung those most often cited are the following:

• inadequate data on wind speed over one year and over many years;
• the need for strong transmission lines from the lakes to the major populations centers;
• electrical rates in some areas  that are at a level to make wind power not competitive;
• lack of data on how winter ice flows will affect the wind turbine towers;
• the lack of large work ships needed for the construction of wind turbine towers in deep water;
• lake depths at distances offshore beyond line of sight;
• uncertainty in the regulatory system for the permits needed to begin construction; and
• incomplete studies on migratory bird patterns needed to help determined where offshore wind farms can be located

 Until each of these issues is addressed by government or project developers it is unlikely that the Great Lakes will see the rapid development of wind energy predicted by many.  Yet this is, without a doubt, the area of greatest wind resources for the Great Lakes States (and Canada).

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by Bruce Goodman

Traverse City Light & Power has approved a 20-year power purchase agreement with Stoney Corners Wind Farm near McBain to purchase 10 MW from five wind turbines. It is anticipated that the five wind turbines will be operating by the end of 2010.

Between 2010 and 2012 Heritage Renewable Energy is planning to construct more projects with the goal of building an additional 400-500 MW. The interconnection at the site has been sized to accomodate a much larger number of wind turbines than what is currently committed. 

In a related development, the MPSC has approved an amendment to the existing Detroit Edison contract with Stoney Corners for a pilot, utility-scale 2.2 MW wind turbine with a permanent magnet generator and direct drive configuration.

This wind farm developer is undertaking a very unique approach on building a wind farm piece by piece, such that the electiricty at the site may ultimately be committed to many different entitites.  Already it has three different types of wind turbines assigned to the project.

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Attorney Bruce Goodman

DELEG has funded the installation of anemometers to measure wind speeds on five towers across the state. MSU will collect the data from the towers in Gratiot, Delta, Antrim, Mason and Hillsdale counties and make the data accessible to the public online. The measurements will be taken at three heights, one of which will be as high as 100 meters. The data will be collected for at least one year.

The State of Michigan is doing what it can to encourage wind project developers to work on projects within the state.  The full impact of the renewable portfolio standard is still a few years away, and prices for power purchase agreements with state utilities are barely high enough to finance a wind farm.  Nonetheless, more wind data will be helpful.  Moreover, to the extent this data can be correlated to offshore wind data the long term impact is most likely to be to encourage in the lake projects.

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