MSUE Wind Power

-Compiled by Lynn Hamilton, MSU Dept. of Agricultural Economics

Why Michigan? Michigan ranks 14^th in terms of wind energy potential, but is currently well behind other states in terms of installed wind generating capacity. There are three utility-scale wind turbines currently operating in Michigan – two in Mackinaw City and one in Traverse City, which together account for 2.4 megawatts of installed wind energy. Across the U.S., an additional 389 megawatts (MW) of new wind generation power was installed in 2004, or enough to serve more than 100,000 average homes, according to the Washington, D.C.-based American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Currently the U.S. has 6,740 MW installed, enough to serve more than 1.6 million households.

THE TOP TWENTY STATES for Wind Energy Potential as measured by annual energy potential in the billions of kWh, factoring in environmental and land use exclusions for wind class of 3 and higher.
Rank	State	B kWh/yr	Rank	State	B kWh/yr
1.	N. Dakota	1,210	11.	Colorado	481
2.	Texas	1,190	12.	N. Mexico	435
3.	Kansas	1,070	13.	Idaho	73
4.	S. Dakota	1,030	14.	Michigan	65
5.	Montana	1,020	15.	New York	62
6.	Nebraska	868	16.	Illinois	61
7.	Wyoming	747	17.	California	59
8.	Oklahoma	725	18.	Wisconsin	58
9.	Minnesota	657	19.	Maine	56
10.	Iowa	551	20.	Missouri	52
Source: An Assessment of the Available Windy Land Area and Wind Energy Potential in the Contiguous United States, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, August 1991. PNL-7789

Michigan State University Extension has a grant from the Michigan Energy Office and the U.S. Department of Energy to educate farmers about wind energy options in Michigan. MSU Extension will be conducting workshops and working with the extension farm management agents to provide outreach to interested farmers and landowners. The grant runs through December 2005.

Michigan’s Wind Resource. An updated Michigan wind map was released on October 5, 2004. This map, developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the U.S. Dept. of Energy, shows that the Thumb area, the west side of Lower Michigan and parts of the Upper Peninsula as having the highest potential for wind energy in Michigan. Wind is measured on a scale from Class 1 through 7, with Class 7 winds being the highest. For utility-scale turbines, Class 3 wind and above is needed (above 11 mph). Michigan has very good Class 3 and some Class 4 winds in the areas noted above. Click “MI Wind Maps” on the MSU Extension Wind Energy homepage (www.msue.msu.edu/wind).

Wind Energy Measurement. The energy generated by wind is typically measured in megawatts (MW), which is 1000 kilowatts. A typical household uses 10,000 kilowatt hours for its annual electricity needs. Most utility-scale wind turbines are at least 1 MW which will generate enough electricity to power 250 – 300 homes. Most of the newer wind turbines that are being built are even larger; 1.5 to 1.8 MW, and can each generate electricity for up to 500 homes.

Small Wind Turbines: These can be stand-alone or grid-connected, usually 100 kW or smaller, for use in residential, small farm, or small businesses. The majority of the electricity is used on-site. In many states, small wind turbines are eligible for net metering programs, allowing turbine owners to "bank" excess electricity with the local utility. Michigan’s Public Service commission is working on a net metering program, look for more information later in 2005.

Small Distributed Wind Projects: These are single or small clusters of utility-scale wind turbines. Often, projects such as these are owned and operated by individual farmers, farmer-owned business entities, local investors, municipalities or large energy consumers to offset their own consumption. These projects typically interconnect to existing local power distribution lines. The turbines at Mackinaw City and Traverse City fit this description.

Community Wind Energy: These projects come in many shapes and sizes, but are unified by having some level of local or public involvement, equity, initiation, and control. Examples include: school-owned wind turbines, farmer owned wind cooperatives or Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs), and local public power wind projects.

Large-Scale Wind Power Plants: These consist of large arrays of wind turbines concentrated in one area and governed under a single power purchase agreement. Often these projects are financed by large institutional investors based outside the local area. They are most often owned and operated by corporate entities, and land easements are signed with property owners. Projects of this size require their own transmission lines to deliver power to a distant population center. For the purposes of this website, wind power plants are classified as any project over 12 MW. Michigan does not yet have any large-scale wind power plants, but wind developers are planning ones in the Mason County area and in the Thumb.

Wind Generation in Michigan: Some Basic Facts