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Wind power in Michigan

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The first commercial wind turbine in Michigan, installed in Leelanau County near Traverse City in 1996, was retired and dismantled in 2022.

Wind power in Michigan is a developing industry. The industrial base from the automotive industry has led to a number of companies producing wind turbine parts in the state. The development of wind farms in the state, however, has lagged behind. In January 2021, there were a total of 1,481 wind turbines in the state with a nameplate capacity of 2,549 MW.[1][2][3] The nameplate total exceeded 2,000 MW when Pine River came online in March 2019. Wind provided 4.2% of the state's electricity in 2016.[4]

Michigan's requirement for 10 percent renewable energy by 2015 has led to increased alternative development in the state since this law was passed in 2008. A ballot initiative requiring 25% by 2025 failed in 2012.[5]

The development of alternative energy sources has stimulated new businesses and employment. In 2011, the Environmental Law & Policy Center identified more than 100 businesses in Michigan involved in engineering and manufacturing wind turbine components, and employing 4,000 people.[6]

Michigan Wind Generation Capacity by Year
Megawatts of Installed Generating Capacity[7][8][9]

The first commercial wind turbine installed in the state, a 0.6 MW model, was erected in Traverse City in 1996. It remained the only turbine for several years. Traverse City Light & Power has announced a project to generate 30% of its power from renewable sources by 2020.[10] In 2001 Mackinaw City installed 2 turbines rated at 0.6 MW each. (The turbines at Mackinaw City were removed in May 2024.[11]) Laker Elementary School in the Thumb region installed three 65KW turbines and a 10KW one, totaling 0.2 MW in 2005.[12]

The first wind farm in the state was the Harvest Wind Farm in the Thumb, opened in December 2007, with 32 turbines producing a rated 53 MW.[13] Huron County has the highest number of wind turbines in the state.

In 2010, wind power produced 0.3% of Michigan's electrical power.[14] Installed wind capacity more than doubled in 2011, to a total of 377 MW nameplate capacity.

The largest wind farm in Michigan, the 385 MW Isabella Wind Project developed by Apex Clean Energy and acquired by DTE, entered full operation in 2021.[15]

Michigan Wind 1, a 46-turbine wind farm near Ubly, Michigan, with 69 MW capacity

A number of new projects are proposed in Michigan. In the Thumb region, which has most of Michigan's high-quality onshore wind, 140 miles of new 345 kilovolt lines are being built to allow the region to support hundreds of proposed new turbines.[16]

Michigan has potential for offshore wind power in the Great Lakes, but development has been delayed by political considerations. A proposed wind farm in Lake Michigan at Ludington was rejected in 2010.[17]

Wind farms

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Wind turbines in Tuscola County, Michigan in July 2015.
Name Size (MW) Location[18]
Apple Blossom Wind Farm 100 Huron County[19]
Beebe Wind Farm 81.6 Gratiot County[20]
Beebe 1B Wind Farm 50.4 Gratiot County
Big Turtle Wind Farm 50 Huron County[21]
Brookfield Wind Farm 75 Huron County[22]
Crescent Wind 166 Hillsdale County[23]
Cross Winds 111 Tuscola County[24]
Cross Winds II 44 Tuscola County[25]
Cross Winds III 76 Tuscola County[26]
Deerfield Wind Farm 261 Huron County[19]
Echo Wind Park 120 Huron County[27]
Fairbanks Wind Farm 72 Delta County[28]
Garden Wind Farm 28 Garden Township, Delta County[29]
DTE/Invenergy Gratiot County Wind Project 213 Gratiot County
Gratiot Farms Wind 150 Gratiot County
Harvest Wind Farm I 53 Huron County
Harvest Wind Farm II 59 Huron County
Heartland Wind 200 Gratiot County
Isabella Wind 385 Isabella County
Lake Winds Energy Park 100.8 Mason County[30][31]
McKinley 14 Huron County
Meridian 225 Saginaw and Midland Counties[32]
Michigan Wind 1 69 Ubly
Michigan Wind 2 90 Minden City[33]
Minden 32 Sanilac
Pine River 161 Gratiot, Isabella Counties[34]
Pinnebog Wind Park 50 Huron County[35]
Pheasant Run Wind I 75 Huron County
Pegasus 130 Tuscola
Polaris Wind Park 168 Gratiot County[36]
Sigel 64 Huron County
Stoney Corners 60 McBain, Michigan[37]
Tuscola Bay 120 Tuscola, Bay, Saginaw counties
Tuscola II 100 Tuscola, Bay counties

Wind generation

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Michigan Wind Generation by Year
Wind generation (million kW-hours)
Michigan Wind Generation in 2015
Michigan Wind Generation (GWh, Million kWh)
Year Total Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2008 142 10 6 10 12 13 8 8 5 6 12 16 36
2009 299 30 31 28 36 29 12 13 19 9 27 22 43
2010 359 38 24 33 37 27 16 15 19 32 33 39 46
2011 457 34 52 31 49 35 24 12 18 27 40 73 62
2012 1,130 107 88 99 88 66 68 38 52 64 121 110 229
2013 2,800 309 259 256 294 218 142 128 137 176 230 374 279
2014 3,867 420 354 380 386 291 221 210 156 231 355 457 406
2015 4,798 501 405 473 435 410 258 228 247 280 529 536 496
2016 4,694 524 487 403 330 315 302 273 202 327 392 498 641
2017 5,190 453 499 561 547 464 389 201 185 227 512 577 575
2018 5,456 763 535 589 468 411 297 243 263 295 536 510 546
2019 5,825 602 508 608 667 459 398 273 241 336 521 526 686
2020 6,734 608 681 587 512 505 375 273 324 534 641 908 786
2021 7,747 564 666 931 674 552 565 438 376 625 615 851 890
2022 9,110 881 922 919 845 742 592 509 438 515 838 991 918
2023 4,041 683 957 861 915 625

  Teal background indicates the largest wind generation month for the year.

  Green background indicates the largest wind generation month to date.

Source:[38][39][40][41][42][8]

Michigan used 102,489 GWh in 2016.[43]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Michigan Wind Farm Map, Thumb Wind
  2. ^ Wind power continues to dominate in Michigan, Windpower Engineering and Development, Michelle Froese, February 21, 2019
  3. ^ Michigan Utility Scale wind Farms, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, December 2013
  4. ^ "Michigan Wind Energy" (PDF). U.S. Wind Energy State Facts. American Wind Energy Association. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  5. ^ Ballot Initiative Would More Than Double Michigan’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, CleanTechnica, Silvio Marcacci, January 15, 2012
  6. ^ The Solar and Wind Energy Supply Chain in Michigan, Environmental Law & Policy Center, 2011
  7. ^ "WINDExchange: U.S. Installed Wind Capacity". U.S. Department of Energy. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  8. ^ a b Wind Energy in Michigan
  9. ^ WINDExchange: U.S. Installed and Potential Wind Power Capacity and Generation
  10. ^ Traverse City’s Utility Goes Greener, Michigan Land Use Institute, Glen Puit, May 20, 2009
  11. ^ Mackinaw City's wind turbines come down, Soo Leader, Jim Lehocky, June 11, 2024
  12. ^ Gordon Shetler, A Michigan school district goes green, inspiring young minds., EJ Magazine, Spring 2008
  13. ^ Harvest Wind Farm Facts, Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, 2011
  14. ^ Wind Energy Facts: Michigan, AWEA, January 2012
  15. ^ [1] Global News Wire, 20 April 2021
  16. ^ Jeff Kart, "New Michigan transmission line to multiply wind capacity", Midwest Energy News, January 10, 2012
  17. ^ "Off-Shore Wind Deal Goes South", Interlochen Public Radio, June 9, 2010
  18. ^ U.S. Wind Energy Projects – Michigan, AWEA, 2011
  19. ^ a b Table 6.3. New Utility Scale Generating Units by Operating Company, Plant, and Month, 2017, Electric Power Monthly, U.S. Energy Information Administration, April 25, 2017
  20. ^ Michigan Wind, Exelon Corporation
  21. ^ Big Turtle, Heritage Wind
  22. ^ DTE Energy buys Brookfield Township wind park, DTE, Jun 2, 2014
  23. ^ Consumers Energy adds 60 turbines at Crescent Wind park in Hillsdale County
  24. ^ Consumers Energy Opens 111 MW Michigan Wind Farm
  25. ^ Second Phase Of Cross Winds Energy Park Begins Operating In Michigan
  26. ^ Consumers: Phase III of energy park now operational and producing energy for customers
  27. ^ Turbines begin operation at DTE Energy's Echo Wind Park
  28. ^ DTE Energy Commissions Michigan’s Largest Wind Farms, North America Windpower, Matthew Mercure, April 20, 2021
  29. ^ Garden Wind Farm, Heritage Sustainable Energy
  30. ^ Lake Winds construction complete; Ludington-area wind farm praised for boosting Mason County, mlive.com, Dave Alexander, September 21, 2012
  31. ^ Wind turbines in motion: Lake Winds Energy Park up and running in Mason County, mlive.com, November 26, 2012
  32. ^ State’s largest wind energy park opens in mid-Michigan, WNEM, James Felton and Emily Brown, April 18, 2023]
  33. ^ Exelon's Michigan Wind 2 Project Now Operational, PRNewswire-FirstCal, Jan. 5, 2012
  34. ^ Pine River Wind begins commercial operation in Michigan, Windpower Engineering and Development, Michelle Froese | March 8, 2019
  35. ^ DTE Energy’s Pinnebog Wind Park begins commercial operation in Michigan, Wind Power Engineering and Development, Michelle Froese, December 28, 2016
  36. ^ DTE Energy wind park operational; can power 64,000 homes, AP at WXYZ Detroit, April 23, 2020
  37. ^ Stoney Corners Wind Farm, Barton Marlow
  38. ^ EIA (July 27, 2012). "Electric Power Monthly Table 1.14.A." United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  39. ^ EIA (July 27, 2012). "Electric Power Monthly Table 1.14.B." United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  40. ^ EIA (February 2013). "Electric Power Monthly Table 1.17.A." (PDF). United States Department of Energy. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
  41. ^ "Electricity Data browser". U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
  42. ^ Table 1.14.B. Utility Scale Facility Net Generation from Wind, Electric Power Monthly, Energy Information Administration, United States Department of Energy, February 27, 2019
  43. ^ EIA (December 2017). "Electric Power Annual". United States Department of Energy. p. Table 2.8. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
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