Twelve wind turbines planned for Houghton County
Twelve wind turbines are being planned for locations in Stanton and Adams Townships, southwest of Houghton. The project, named Scotia Wind, is being developed by Circle Power, a small company based in southern Michigan.
Circle Power is picking up a project that Farm Wind Energy attempted in 2015, but later abandoned. The Scotia Wind turbines are planned for locations that comply with the Adams Township ordinances, whereas Farm Wind Energy was pressing the township to change the ordinance in a way that would allow them to put a turbine on top of Whealkate Bluff, and other locations closer to residences.
“He wasn’t an experienced developer, and he didn’t necessarily understand how people might react,” Jordan Roberts, co-founder of Circle Power, said.
Roberts said about the only thing they took from the previous project was the wind measurement data that they had. He said that Circle Power is trying to be better about engaging with the township, too.
“We were there on a monthly basis,” he said. “Prior to, you know, the coronavirus situation.”
The Adams Township ordinance requires that turbines be set back at least 3,000 feet from the nearest property line, and that sound levels at the nearest property line cannot exceed 55 decibels. The average refrigerator makes about 55 decibels of sound when it is running. The Scotia Wind project is being developed to be on active timberland land, owned by Lake Superior Timberlands, LLC.
This is a screenshot from “The Wind Prospector” a site run by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. It shows the area where the turbines will be built is in the light green area, which is labeled as “6.5 to 7 m/s” on the legend. Dark green and blue have speeds reduced at .5 m/s intervals.
Stanton Township does not yet have a wind ordinance, but is working on developing and passing one. Township supervisor John Mattila said it will probably look quite similar to the Adams Township ordinance, as they intend to use it as a template.
Below is a copy of the Adams Township Wind Turbine Power Generation Ordinance, and an application. the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service “Land-Based Wind Energy Guidelines” the ordinance refers to are available here.
Circle Power has not filed for permits with the township yet. Roberts said that they will engage with the permit process once they’re ready.
“We’ve been doing environmental surveys for several years,” Roberts said. “You know, birds, wetlands, our wind studies, are ongoing.”
At the Adams Township meeting on Monday, Christopher Moore, another Circle Power co-founder, shared a map that showed the routes of roads that would need to be constructed or improved to build the turbines. Township officials said it would be shared online, but is not yet available on their website. This is a screen capture from the Zoom meeting.
The turbine’s access road would initially follow the path of the ATC transmission line, before splitting to reach the turbines.
Roberts said he believed there would be “significant” tax generation for the local municipalities and schools, but wasn’t ready to release any numbers. He said they would be supplied to the townships first.
Paperwork filed with the American Transmission Company shows the turbines Scotia Wind is planned to use are Siemens Gamesa 5.0-145 (Type 3) turbines, which have a total height, including blade length, of about 808 feet. The project is intended to generate a maximum of just under 40 megawatts of renewable energy. Agreements for that energy have already been signed by UPPCO.
The introduction of turbines in Houghton County will not impact electric rates for nearby residents. Rates are set through a process through the Michigan Public Service Commission.
“We understand the issue of rates in the area,” Roberts said. “We’re not involved in the rate-making process...”
During the controversy surrounding the now-abandoned Summit Lake Wind Project by RES in L’Anse Township, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Council passed a resolution opposing wind energy generation within their ceded territory.
Moore has met with the Tribal Council and other individuals from the KBIC to discuss the impacts and concerns of the project, according to Jeffrey Loman. Loman was involved in protesting the construction of the Summit Lake Wind Farm, but thinks it’s unlikely the turbines in Houghton County will be halted.
On the other hand, Roberts said it will likely be a while before construction can begin.
“We think this is a great location for a wind farm, and we think a bunch of the pieces are falling in place,” Roberts said. “But it’s certainly not a done deal.”
Comments on original story
Daryl Self
Don't you dare destroy that beautiful landscape with bird choppers.
Bill manderfield
Wind is bad, it takes more energy than it gives. They claim to pay taxes but they always find loopholes and don't pay any property tax. I live here I don't want windmills churning at all hours of the day and night. They kill birds constantly and the windmills will not lower anyone's bills. People think about this and fight.
Paul Maki
Wind and Solar are the future for our energy needs. Utilities that promote renewable energy are able to promote lower rates in the end.
Wind Turbulence (Episode 2)
How does the MPSC regulate electricity rates?
Wind turbines in the Parnitha Mountains of Greece. Photo by Feri & Tasos on Unsplash
Will the construction of wind turbines in your area reduce your electricity rates? Nobody can really say for certain, because privately-owned electric and gas utility rates are set through a process and ultimately decided by the Michigan Public Service Commission, a group of three appointed individuals.
This podcast tries to explain the process and how resident consumers can get involved.
Featuring interviews with Elise Matz, Vice-Chairperson of the Utility Consumer Participation Board, and Jenn Hill, Secretary of the Citizens Utility Board.
View the MPSC rate making flowchart by clicking here.
Wind Turbulence (Episode 1)
A podcast exploring complex questions surrounding wind development
Almost since the day I moved here more than three years ago, I’ve been reporting on wind turbines.
There’s good reason to keep doing so, but I started feeling like I was just repeating the same story over and over again—public meeting, frustrated public, little concrete information, slow progress— only the names have been changed.
Rather than grow jaded with the important local story, I decided to try and dive a bit deeper. There are some questions that I don’t feel I’ve been able to answer in my reporting yet, and “Wind Turbulence” is an attempt to illuminate those questions for you using a different medium.
The purpose isn’t to help change anyone’s mind one way or the other about wind turbine development, but to bring some of the finer points of the discussion to the forefront while the moratoriums in place in Adams and Stanton townships give local citizens time to think without being concerned with looming construction.
In this first episode, I briefly interview Kathleen Halvorsen and Roman Sidortsov. I feel like any introduction I try to give them hardly does them justice. Both of them research and work with energy policy on a national and international level, but they also both live here, in Houghton County. We discussed the tradeoffs of local wind turbine development and the mitigating factor that distributed generation might play in energy development and resiliency.
In future episodes, I’m planning to explore the tax code surrounding wind turbines, how the Michigan Public Service Commission works, and other complex topics with people who are experts on them.
I hope the series will help people think deeply about the energy future of the Upper Peninsula.
Experienced birder talks danger to raptors, bats from proposed wind turbines
Local birding expert Joseph Youngman presents to the Guardians of the Keweenaw Ridge about the danger to raptors and bats if wind turbines are built in Stanton and Adams Townships
Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this video are not necessarily shared by Copper Beacon or its employees, and Copper Beacon was not compensated for producing this video. (See more below)
This meeting took place Monday, Aug. 16, 2021, in the Stanton Township Fire Hall. About 35 people gathered at 6:30 p.m. to talk about the ill effects of wind turbines and their construction, hear birding expert Joseph Youngman speak, and plan how to stop the development of turbines.
The video opens with some comments from Guardians of the Keweenaw Ridge leadership before introducing Joseph Youngman, vice president of the Copper Country Audobon and experienced birding expert.
Youngman spent some time taking questions after his presentation, not all of which related to his expertise with birds. He did his best to field all the questions but had to pass some off to others.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first time I’ve covered something like this in its entirety, and I was somewhat conflicted about whether I should or not, thus I feel the need to make this note and explain the choice further here.
The event is clearly in support of a single viewpoint and recording and sharing it promotes that, but there are likely people who hold other opinions and didn’t feel comfortable attending or speaking up at this meeting. Those people deserve a fair chance to speak within Copper Beacon’s pages, too.
For those who hold any variety of viewpoints, in support or against wind turbines, I invite you to either email me at me@joshuavissers.com to inform me or write a letter to the editor to be published on Copper Beacon’s op-ed page.
If a group in support of wind turbine development is formed, they can expect I’ll make a similar, cost-free effort to attend and record their meetings, not in an effort to support their viewpoint, but in order to bring news of their meeting and information on their views and discussion to you, my readers, listeners, and viewers.