How many more turbines?
"I wish there were turbines coming out of everybody's ears” - Chris Moore
An actual quote from Circle Power owner for a previous project he worked on
https://www.windpowermonthly.com/article/953462/without-tax-credit-navitas-rides-wave
Do not believe the developer when they state these 12 proposed industrial turbines are all that is planned. This is not true. Michigan’s thumb started with a couple dozen turbines in 2008. They now have 836 turbines. Huron County alone has 472 industrial turbines (https://thumbwind.com/michigan-wind-farm-map).
Plans are already in place to update the national electrical grid to accommodate more industrial wind turbines. Remember the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted by Congress and signed into law by the President late last year? The package provides approximately $65 billion for updating our national grid which includes the electrical grid serving the Midwest. Enhanced electrical grid will mean more wind turbines.
Furthermore, a pro-wind 2009 Michigan State University study (https://www.michiganseagrant.org/downloads/research/projects/Intro-to-Wind-Energy.pdf) assessed the potential for industrial scale wind turbine development in the Western Upper Peninsula. That study specifically determined the number of potential wind turbines that could be installed in Houghton and Keweenaw counties (page 54 of the study). The proposed number will shock you; it is in the hundreds.
The State has supported wind developers who seek “easy community targets” by commissioning the University of Michigan to create a map (used by wind developers) that specifically shows the “easy targets” for wind development. If you look on the map, you will see the gray target counties in the UP, including Adams and Stanton townships. This is another reason we became easy targets for wind developers.
From https://www.michigan.gov/documents/energy/Wind_final_681759_7.pdf
Furthermore, review of public records available on the web site of the entity that manages the Midwest electrical grid (called Midcontinent Independent System Operator or MISO) shows there are already additional proposals pending to install more industrial wind turbines in our area.
Then come the transmission lines.
Industrial wind turbines needs to be connected to electrical grid with transmission lines. At first, wind developers will look for locations that lack restrictive regulations, have favorable wind, and are close to existing high voltage transmission lines.
As time passes they will have to construct new transmission lines.Lets face reality. The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted by Congress and signed into law by the President late last year provides $65 billion for updating our national grid which includes the electrical grid serving the Midwest. An updated electrical grid will result in more wind turbines.
Eminent domain (the legal process that allows governments to force the sale of private property for public use) is used in many cases to connect industrial wind turbine factories to the electrical grid. Thus, over time, as more and more industrial turbines are constructed, private landowners are forced to give up their land and have high power transmission lines placed on their property and in their backyard.
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