In an interview Wednesday, Huron County Commissioner Kurt Damrow said Monday's public hearing is the last chance for local units of government, including townships that have control of their zoning and have a wind turbine ordinance, to speak to the State of Michigan in regard to maintaining local control over setback requirements and noise limitations for wind developments. "What's on the line is whether local units of government will have a say in zoning, specifically (regarding) setbacks and noise," Damrow said.

A publicly owned wind turbine along M-72 in Leelanau County's Elmwood Township is out of commission. A generator bearing failed and the turbine ground to a halt, said Ed Rice, Traverse City Light & Power's executive director. The windmill has been broken for about six weeks.

Officials announced last week that the Michigan Public Service Commission will hold a public hearing later this month to garner public comment on the effect of wind turbine setback requirements and noise limitations under local zoning or other ordinances on wind energy development in wind energy resource zones. The hearing is set to begin at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23 at the MPSC's office.

Will the wind someday carry water from Lake Michigan to Grand Rapids water customers? It will if Grand Rapids officials put together a $15 million proposal to build two wind turbines on land the city owns next door to its Lake Michigan Water Filtration Plant. ...But the proposal to install two turbines up to 300 feet tall will require an ordinance amendment and could be unpopular with those who own cottages nearby.

A road in Missaukee County was closed for several hours Sunday afternoon and three homes were evacuated as a safety precaution after construction workers became concerned about the stability of a newly-installed 400-foot wind turbine. ...[the homes] were still evacuated out of an abundance of caution in terms of possible flying debris.

The Whitehall Planning Commission is going back to the drawing board in preparing an ordinance to regulate development of renewable energy sources within the city. The planners came to that conclusion following its regular monthly meeting, Oct. 6, which mostly was filled with discussion about a draft ordinance first presented to the board in August. ...Now, planners may not hold a hearing before the end of the year.

The proposed wind turbine regulations are being sent back for a "do-over." After listening to citizens' input, the city council decided not to vote on a proposed new ordinance which would have regulated the construction and operation of wind energy conversion devices to capture the energy of moving air and turn it into electricity.

When Michigan and Muskegon pooled every incentive package they could tap, the lure still was not strong enough to land the first factory for homegrown wind-turbine company WindTronics, LLC. Instead, WindTronics turbines will be produced by 174 Canadian workers in an old Magna International auto-seating plant in Windsor, Ontario, helped by a $2.7 million up-front provincial grant. Production in the $5.4 million facility will begin as early as January. Early access to cash made the difference, WindTronics President Reg Adams said.

Are wind turbines the energy of the future? Due to the increasing popularity of residential wind turbines, the Fenton Planning Commission is creating an ordinance and guidelines for wind turbines. This was discussed by commissioners at their meeting last week.

Following a public hearing on Wednesday, the Huron County Planning Commission approved a zoning ordinance amendment recommendation to add a complaint resolution section to the county's wind overlay zoning provisions. "It's up to them now," said Huron County Planning Commission Chairman Ted Sheldon, referring to the Huron County Board of Commissioners. Russ Lundberg, Huron County Building and Zoning director, explained the recommendation will be sent to the Huron County Board of Commissioners for adoption, rejection or modification.

Currently, there are no wind turbines generating electricity in Grand Ledge, and there are none planned. But, when and if someone decides to build one, the city plans to be ready. "The primary reason the Planning Commission wanted to proceed was to have something in place to protect the public should somebody choose to put in a wind conversion device," said Grand Ledge Mayor Kalmin Smith.