Michigan's Future Energy (Lansing, Muskegon: environment, real estate, jobs)

[michiganmoon]

Pondering wind energy possibilities - Muskegon Chronicle - MLive.com

"Lake Michigan has the wind power of 180 large Nuclear Power Plants"


Muskegon's future might be blowing in the wind. Literally.

And it could mean hundreds of new jobs and the development of energy that is both plentiful and clean.

Local leaders want Muskegon to become the center of a Great Lakes industry that would produce wind energy and the turbines and parts necessary to make it happen. Such a vision would involve placing dozens -- if not hundreds -- of 325-foot wind turbines, or windmills, on floating anchor points 22 miles off the Lake Michigan shoreline that couldn't be seen from land.

[Cliffie]

It's not just about Muskegon people!

[magellan]

I love it! When do we start?

[michiganmoon]

Michigan:

1) Already has the factories
2) Already has the machines that can make the parts
3) Already has the quality Universities that can provide research and input
4) The skilled labor force use to the machines in the factories
5) Strong winds off of Lake Michigan

The World
1) Needs renewable energy

Is this not obvious to our state government?

[baystater]

Excellent! This will help Michigan in the long term. Eventually the wind power technology will get more efficient and more importantly cheaper. And at the same time will help cut down of air and water pollution in the state and create some more jobs.
Basically this is a boon for Michigan if it work out.

Just two things in the article bother me:

It also could spark a public debate. Community leaders aren't sure how the public will react to a temporary tower on Muskegon Lake, but a similar Atlantic Ocean project off the coast of Cape Cod caused a massive outcry. However, those towers were visible from the shoreline.

As I guy from Massachusetts. I still very disappointed in some of the people of my home state. Basically what happened was a bunch of whinny rich folk got all bent out of shape about losing there perfect view. Yet these dopes don't have a problem with a nuclear power plant being down the street from them. Arse backward thinking. Actually it NIMBY thinking. I make we sad when we could have actually done the right thing but didn't for frivolous reasons.

Of all of the potential problems facing wind turbines on the Great Lakes, the environmental concerns probably would pose the greatest public alarms and objections. However, the head of the Michigan Environmental Council in Lansing, former state Sen. Lana Pollack, has written favorably about wind energy production in the state's future.

OK again with the Arse backward thinking. OK so we could have to possibly protect the environment by blocking a project that could in the long term possibly help...........PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT! Does any think this is a little insane?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by baystater

Excellent! This will help Michigan in the long term. Eventually the wind power technology will get more efficient and more importantly cheaper. And at the same time will help cut down of air and water pollution in the state and create some more jobs.
Basically this is a boon for Michigan if it work out.

Just two things in the article bother me:



As I guy from Massachusetts. I still very disappointed in some of the people of my home state. Basically what happened was a bunch of whinny rich folk got all bent out of shape about losing there perfect view. Yet these dopes don't have a problem with a nuclear power plant being down the street from them. Arse backward thinking. Actually it NIMBY thinking. I make we sad when we could have actually done the right thing but didn't for frivolous reasons.



OK again with the Arse backward thinking. OK so we could have to possibly protect the environment by blocking a project that could in the long term possibly help...........PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT! Does any think this is a little insane?

No kidding baystater! If they plopped these things 22 miles offshore as they propose, you'd never see them from the shoreline. Of course wind energy won't totally replace other forms of energy, but it will lessen the chances of yet another coal powered plant being built in West Michigan.

[UpperPeninsulaRon]

There are quite a few wind turbines that are in the Straits area that are prominent when driving up I-75 to the bridge. Does anyone know what kind of power generation comes from them and what we have learned from them?

[FERRETI]

Wind farms don`t bring in as much as coal plants,but if you build a lot of them,then this state can become an energy exporter.The problem though is not electricity shortage or the price of it.Already my country is building the biggest wind farm in europe,but the problems lie elsewhere even though real estate has been booming for over a decade.

[baystater]

Originally Posted by FERRETI

Wind farms don`t bring in as much as coal plants,but if you build a lot of them,then this state can become an energy exporter.The problem though is not electricity shortage or the price of it.Already my country is building the biggest wind farm in europe,but the problems lie elsewhere even though real estate has been booming for over a decade.

I'm not quite sure exactly what your getting at. If saying that this windmill project will not be a cure all for Michigan's economy you are very correct. There are are many thing's that need to be done to correct the economy in Michigan. But this is a step in the right direction. As I said earlier the windfarm technology will improve with time. Perhaps to the point where some time in the future it will equal coal fired plants. I really for these type of programs if not any other reason just to get the air cleaner. I hate days when I'm running outside and I start to choke on exhaust fumes of all types. But that's just me.

[sugarbeet]

Terrific idea. There are many of these in SW Minnesota (and lots of other places, I'm sure) and while I don't think they've dramatically changed the economy of the area, they certainly haven't had a negative impact.