As indicated by the survey, support for the increased use of wind power, both in terms of commercial- and residential-scale turbines, exists in the western U.P.   However, with the exception of a few residential systems, very little of that wind power potential is curently being tapped.  The question, then, is what are next steps that need to be taken if more of our wind energy resources are to be developed.

Establishing a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) in Michigan is a key next step if local wind power resources are to be developed.   According to the 2004 U.S. Wind Power Capacity report, Michigan has a wind power capacity of 7,460MW but only 2.4MW installed wind capacity, which is .0032% of its wind energy potential. 

This situation exists mainly because it has been cheaper to produce electricity from coal-fired power plants.  However, with rising fossil fuel costs and more emphasis on reducing the amount of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, NOx, and mercury released to the atmosphere, the cost of electricity from coal-fired plants will continue to rise.  Meanwhile, the cost of generating electricity from wind power will continue to decline as more turbines are manufactured and wind farm developers gain experience.  

To encourage the integration of wind power into the current system for generating electricity, Michigan should establish an RPS that requires state utilities to obtain a certain percentage (usually 5-10%) of their power production from renewable sources.  States that establish an RPS are making a policy choice to encourage the development of renewable energies.   For example, California has 2096 MW of installed capacity; Minnesota, 615 MW; and Iowa, 632 MW.

In addition to providing financial incentives to those who pioneer the use of wind energy, an RPS also provides utilities and their parent corporations with an incentive to encourage renewable energy projects.  Such projects are inherently risky as they require entrepreneurs to enter into new territory, which is a minefield of rules, regulations, contracts, and technical requirements.  Without encouragement from utilities and their parent corporations, few projects are likely to get off the ground--even if a large segment of the population is willing to support such a project and even after the economics prove favorable. 

Currently, there is a federal program that provides financial incentives for the production of renewable energy in the way of tax credits; however only states that have RPS's are significantly benefitting from those incentives. 

The survey and public meeting suggest that the most support exists for projects that involve a single commercial turbine or a cluster of 2-5 commercial turbines.  This pattern of wind power development is consistent with the area's population, geography, and land use.  This pattern of development would also be consistent with an RPS of 5-10%. 

To pioneer and gain experience with the use of wind power at this scale, a demonstration project would prove very useful.  A potential project would be the installation of a demonstration turbine at the Ford Forestry Center.  Proposals to make this facility a demonstration center for renewable energy have already been discussed.  Siting a single large turbine at the center would serve as both an educational resource and as a mechanism for gaining practical experience in connecting to the local transmission grid, selling electricity through the local utility, and learning about the local interaction of birds and bats with the turbine.

In other parts of the country, such projects are often developed in cooperation with a school or other institutional consumer of electricity so that some of the financial incentives provided by the state or local residents go to that public institution.  Currently, UPPCO provides residents with an opportunity to purchase green power through its Nature Wise program.  If that program were used to purchase power from a local commercial-scale wind turbine, it could serve as a mechanism to encourage and support a demonstration project.  Such a demonstation project could lead to other project variations in which a municipality, school district, or group of local residents organize to make use of the available wind power resources. 

From the public meeting and survey, we know that people support wind power but also value the pristine Upper Peninsula landscape.   Hence, if an RPS is established, the siting and construction of turbines could occur fairly quickly.   So counties and municipalities should integrate siting guidelines in their land use planning or zoning efforts before an RPS is established and before the economics prove favorable.  A state-level working group has already created a draft of such guidelines, but these guidelines are not specific to the local area. 

Public outreach is also important if local wind power resources are to be developed efficiently.  A demonstration project could serve as the focus of that public outreach, both for people interested in residential systems and groups interesting in siting a commercial-scale turbine.

For example,  the current wind potential maps are not site specific.  They reflect gross patterns generated by computer simulations based on a minimum of data points.  Some sites in zones designated as having "outstanding" wind resources could see less wind than some sites in areas described as having only "good" or even "fair" resources.  A demonstration project could serve as the institutional home of a service that facilitated the collection, distribution, and analysis of wind speed measurements.  Similarly, wind power developers seeking knowledge about local habitats for bats and birds could turn to the center for information as could municipalities seeking knowledge about the noise generated by turbines.

With the recent establishment of a netmetering policy, homeowners who desire to install a residential turbine have more of an incentive to do so.  Although there is a signficant amount of assistance available from manufacturers and installers after a homeowner decides upon which system to purchase, getting to that point often requires guidance.  The Ford Forestry Center, or other demonstration project site, could serve as a clearinghouse of information.

In addition to producing energy efficiently, it is important to use energy efficiently.  Any effort to encourage the generation of electricity from renewable resources that does not emphasize how to use energy more efficienty is one-sided.  Therefore, any public outreach dedicated to the development of wind power should also disseminate knowledge about how to use electricity more efficiently.