Offshore Wind Data Platform Planned for Lake Michigan
Grand Valley State University is preparing to utilize a $1.4 million Department of Energy grant to measure wind speed and other parameters at a yet to be determined offshore location in Lake Michigan. The data collection platform will supply year-round wind data (at elevation) that previously has been unavailable. [NOAA buoys measuring winds at lake level are removed from November through March each year.] The target date for installation is the fall of 2010. Studies from AWEA show that the wind potential of Lake Michigan is in the range of 4 to 6 wind class (with 7 being the highest).
The next step is the acquisition of additional funding. An MPSC grant is out for bid that could increase the available seed money by $2 million. The rest of the funds for the estimated $6.8 million project will need to come from private sources. It is expected that one or more wind developers will contribute to “scope out” a likely location for an offshore wind farm.
