10/3/2011
by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer
Grand Valley State University is preparing to receive, validate, and then launch its off shore wind data buoy in Lake Michigan. Constructed by AXYS Technologies of British Columbia, the 17 by 17 foot data platform will test for wind patterns, wind quality, bat and bird activities, and water parameters. With power supplied by a small wind turbine, a solar panel, and a fossil fueled generator, the research platform will collect data for GVSU, Michigan State University, and University of Michigan researchers. U of M has recently received U.S. Department of Energy awards of more than $1 million to simulate the impact of surface water ice on off shore wind turbines and to evaluate the effects of freshwater ice on off shore turbines in the Great Lakes. The dedication of the wind data buoy will take place at the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s field station on the Muskegon Channel at 11 AM on October 7.
1/1/2011
by Bruce Goodman
In November a bipartisan group of four state legislators introduced a bill to set new rules for permitting and regulating offshore wind farms in Michigan’s Great Lakes. Based on recommendations from the 29-member Great Lakes Wind Council, the bill would have required at least four public hearings on projects, prohibited wind turbines within six miles of shore without the consent of the county board, created an absolute three-mile buffer from shore, established areas off limits to development, and set guidelines for leasing lake bottomlands for wind projects. Hearings were held November 30, with the State Chamber of Commerce and Michigan Manufacturers Association voicing opposition. No action was taken prior to the end of the 2010 legislative session.
4/17/2010
by Bruce Goodman
The RFP for the GVSU offshore meteorological tower and research platform in Lake Michigan was issued on April 15. With $2.7 million in seed money, and a partnership with U of M’s Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, the RFP (posted at www.gvsu.edu/marec) is seeking a private partner to take financial and management responsibility for siting, designing, and constructing the project. The project will collect the first year-round offshore wind data for Lake Michigan.
3/20/2010
by Bruce Goodman
A few weeks ago this blog highlighted a grant request. Now the MPSC has awarded a $1.3 million grant to Grand Valley State University for its offshore meteorological tower and research platform in Lake Michigan. Partnering with U of M’s Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, an RFP will soon be issued seeking a private partner to leverage the $2.7 million in grants and take responsibility for siting, designing, and constructing the project. The RFP will be posted at www.gvsu.edu/marec. Meanwhile, interest in off shore wind is picking up with a U.S. Senate bill introduced on the subject, and the Great Lakes Commission (Ann Arbor) submitting its “Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Offshore Wind” to the President and Congress.
2/3/2010
by Bruce Goodman
With a $1.4 million DOE grant in hand and a request for a $2.0 million MPSC grant pending, Grand Valley State University is preparing to issue a Request for Proposal for a Lake Michigan offshore meteorological tower and research platform. The RFP will be seeking a partner ready to contribute the additional resources needed and take responsibility for siting, designing, and constructing the project. It is expected that the site selected for the project will be favorably suited for a future utility scale wind energy project.
12/3/2009
by Bruce Goodman
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.
