Developing a Model for
Great Lakes Offshore Wind
in the Upper Peninsula
of Michigan
March 31, 2010
Michigan Wind Working Group
Project Partners
• Lead: Superior Watershed Partnership
• Partners
– Great Lakes Commission
– Mackinaw Power
– Tetra Tech
– AWS Truewind
– Michigan Technological University
– Northern Michigan University
Project Team Members and Key Staff
SWP
Carl Lindquist,
Executive Director
Project Implementation Team Member
Key Project Staff
Vicki Baldini, Grant
Administrator
Geraldine Larson,
Senior Planner
Natasha Koss,
Education
Specialist
Tetra Tech
Michael Ernst,
Esq., Director
Regulatory Affairs
Mackinaw Power
Richard
VanderVeen,
President
AWS Truewind
Tim Ahrens,
Assistant Director
GLC
Victoria Pebbles,
GLWC Program
Director
Jennifer Ghiloni,
Site Constraints
Analysis
Paul Myers, Avian
Studies
Bruce Barget,
Field Supervisor;
Chris Idema,
Technical Support
Michael Markus,
Meteorology;
Matthew Filippelli,
Resource
Assessment
John Hummer,
GLWC Project
Manager
MTU
Dr. Leonard
Bohmann, Assoc.
Dean Academic
Affairs
NMU
Dr. Ronald
Sundell, Director
Environmental
Science Program
Students/Interns
Project Purpose
• Combine GLOW Council offshore wind (OSW)
recommendations with (2) priority GLOW Council
areas – Delta and Mackinac counties – to:
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–
–
–
–
Demonstrate how to engage the public
Identify optimal offshore sites
Identify wind energy potential
Identify regulatory approvals needed
Identify potential funders and developers to advance
OSW technology in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Project Timeline:
March, 2010May, 2013
Four Project Phases / Tasks
1. Site Constraint Analysis, Environmental Studies
2.
3.
4.
and Public Outreach
Wind Resource Assessment and Public
Engagement
Preliminary Permitting Review and Public Input
and
Identification of Potential Funding &
Development Opportunities and Public
Outreach
Stakeholders
• State and federal agencies
• Local units of government
• Tribal communities
• K-12 schools
• University communities
• Faith-based networks
• Nonprofit organizations
Site Constraint Analysis
• Will ensure that environmental impacts are
•
•
minimized to improve permittability and foster
public support.
To also ensure that potential fatal flaws are
identified early on in the planning phase
Will be guided by GLWC’s Offshore Siting
Principles and Guidelines
• Provide baseline env research, constraint
analysis, monitoring & evaluation
– Will help ID potential offshore wind sites in Delta and
Mackinac counties
Site Constraint Analysis (cont’d)
1. Areas of geotechnical instabilities that may
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
complicate turbine foundation construction
Proximity to optimal onshore transmission
system interconnection points
Location within viewsheds of sensitive
receptors such as parks and recreation areas
Proximity to sensitive military areas
Potential aerial obstructions
Avian impacts
Wind Energy Resource Potential
Assessment
• Define the actual wind energy potential of
the Delta and Mackinac sites.
• Aid in the micrositing of turbines before
further studies, including met data, are
utilized to microsite each turbine
foundation.
Wind Energy Resource Potential
Assessment
• AWST will identify, review, and compile available
•
•
•
wind resource data
Research and compile available GIS data layers
and ID any additional met datasets that may
add value to the wind map
Project the energy capacity potential for the
areas of interest identified by GLOW Council in
Lake Michigan
GIS data layers developed will be posted on the
GLWC’s Great Lakes Wind Atlas:
http://erie.glin.net/wind/
Public Perception Assessment
During Site Selection
• Collect public perception info of offshore wind
•
development in the 2 counties
Methods: surveys, focus groups and/or interviews
– Designed for and tailored to each stakeholder group
– Include common questions as well as stakeholder-specific
questions
• Target audience:
– Coastal residents and landowners (with and without views of
lake)
– Possibly beach tourists
• To extent available, mock viewsheds will be used
Visual Impact
Computer-enhanced photo provided by Mike Ernst, Tetra Tech
Wind Measurement System (WMS)
Permitting Process Identification
• Clarify for met tower installation
– Which federal, state and local approvals will be
required?
– What will the process entail for each approval?
– Timeline for approvals
– Cost of approvals?
• Permitting Analysis & Agency Consultation
– LUGs
– state/fed agencies to discuss permitting process
for WMSs
Wind Measurement Systems (WMS)
Alternatives Analysis
• AWST will develop recommendations for WMS
– Measurement philosophy and approach that accentuates
accuracy, durability and bankability
• Will define a suite of meteorological and sub-
surface monitoring equipment, measurement
heights, sensor types and orientations, and data
acquisition system(s).
• Recommendations for an independent power
supply and remote communications package will
also be included.
WMS Report
• Definition of all monitoring parameters, including
•
•
•
derived ones (such as air density and wind shear
exponent), sampling and recording intervals,
measurement heights);
Provisions for measurement redundancy, data
security, and quality assurance/quality control;
Description and quantity of all recommended
sensor models, data acquisition systems, and all
other measurement system components.
Dimensions and weights (for tower loading
analysis purposes) and list prices
WMS Report
• Diagram illustrating configuration of all
equipment;
• Definition of power requirements and
recommendations for remote data
communications;
• Description of generic scheduled
maintenance requirements and intervals
for measurement system.
WMS Public Engagement
• Results shared at (2) public outreach
workshops – one in each county
–Include all stakeholders
• Present Recommendations to GLOW
Council, Stakeholders, Local Officials
Post Project Opportunities
• Include this project in research related programs,
and potentially bring additional funding to the
project for things such as:
– Installation and analysis of additional measurement
technologies
– Additional studies such as avian field studies and/or
marine studies
– Additional public education efforts.
• Present to MPSC and explore which opportunities
would be pursued by the Project Team and/or
Michigan state agencies or authorities.
• Deliverable: list of available grant and funding
opportunities.
Overall Project Products
• SWP will provide:
– Results of the project studies
– Test data
– Detailed technical report
– Summary for the general public.
• Details on the impact the project had on advancing
the deployment of offshore wind technologies
More Information
Carl Lindquist, Executive Director
Superior Watershed Partnership
carl@superiorwatersheds.org
(906) 228-6095 Ext. 14