He said many municipalities in various states have been blindsided by such efforts, and he does not want that to happen here. "We want to make sure that the township officials and county officials know of all the options available for them under the law," he said. "We want them to be prepared so they can deal equitably with the situation."

The Kobetzes claim the wind tower's motion and noise from the turbine has resulted in a loss of property value and loss of enjoyment of their property. The Spencers claim that placement of the electricity-generating tower is allowed by township zoning and protected under the Michigan Right to Farm Act.

"Bob (Smith), we will not be entering into negotiations with you. T.L. (Bushey), Chandler Township is not interested in a 425 agreement with Lake (Township)," said Renn, which prompted applause from some audience members, and others to storm out of the room.

A group of residents says at least half a dozen of the windmills are within falling distance of a gas line. And they say if a turbine falls it could cause a pipeline to break with the risk of an explosion. The pipes are buried four feet deep. Each turbine is nearly fifty stories tall.

City officials are preparing an ordinance that would allow residents and companies to operate wind turbines. A handful of townships in Michigan have ordinances that specifically address turbines, but few cities have followed suit. Officials in the city's community development office are studying the issue as residents become interested in using alternative energy sources. ...Heights are being worked out, but TV antennae are allowed to be 70 feet tall. Maher said the city wants to strike a balance where residential turbines would be high enough to be effective without posing a threat to neighbors if they topple.

Wind turbines are now much easier to put up in the city, but officials don't expect them to dot the Holland skyline anytime soon. Before now, the city had no specific ordinances addressing turbines. The new language will allow them to be half as tall as the property up to 60 feet in residential areas. The restriction is designed as a fall zone. "It's all very dependent on the size of the property," planner Mark Vanderploeg said about height restrictions.

The city of Grand Rapids has advised Grand Haven Township officials it may ultimately seek permits to erect large wind turbines at the city-owned Lake Michigan Filtration Plant on the shoreline. ..."We've got what we think is enough land there to create some isolation from the homes along the lakeshore, and still be able to capture the lake winds that blow strongly through that area," said Heartwell.

But after reviewing the proposal, the city Planning Commission last week made a formal recommendation back to the council: No turbines taller than 200 feet. The city allows, without special use permits, turbines up to 75 feet anywhere in the city, said city Zoning Administrator Bill Spaeth.

A wind energy project in Claybanks Township may need to follow greater set-back requirements if a proposed change to the township's wind power ordinance is accepted.

And while 2013 is likely to see a decision on the $123 million project that dates to 2008, approval by the Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners still would not initiate construction. Years of litigation might be a more accurate forecast.

Supporters say wind energy is both plentiful and renewable, thereby reducing need for fossil fuels, while opponents cite inefficiency, threats to birds and bats, noise, and unsightly landscapes. Although energy companies, such as Heritage Sustainable Energy, have been casing the Ridge for nearly two years, actual construction of a wind farm is still years away, said Rick Wilson, project manager. "We are very close in the Fruit Ridge area to having enough land secured to put in a MET (meteorological evaluation tower)," he said. "We try to assemble a block of land of significant size, about 3,000 to 5,000 acres plus to accommodate a wind farm of several turbines." The next step is to test for adequate wind.

The coalition, a nonprofit organization of concerned citizens who want to protect the lakes, say they are opposed to any irresponsible offshore development that could harm the area. Coalition members say they are trying to work with local communities to make sure the right decisions are made about clean energy and the lake.

The Lake Michigan P.O.W.E.R. Coalition is inviting Tri-Cities residents to discuss concerns about a wind power development proposed for Lake Michigan during a town hall meeting at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at new Ferrysburg City Hall, 17290 Roosevelt Road.

The stakeholders of the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative are steadfast in their belief that the need for renewable energy in the region must be balanced with sound economics and protection of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem,” stated Terry Yonker, GLWC Steering Committee co-chair and president of Marine Services Diversified, LLC.

How the City of Alpena will regulate wind turbines became clearer on Tuesday. The Alpena Planning Commission approved language in the city's soon-to-be-adopted zoning ordinance that puts more restrictions on turbine usage than the ordinance's previous language.

A resolution allowing for the use of residential wind turbines in certain areas was tabled for the second consecutive month following action taken by the Huron County Planning Commission on Wednesday. Huron County planning commissioners tabled the motion last month after Huron County Corporation Counsel Stephen J. Allen advised the draft be revised so a layperson reading it can have an easy understanding of what is and is not allowed.

Because Commissioner John Bodis was absent from Tuesday's meeting, Commissioner John Nugent proposed the board wait until its next regular meeting to vote on the resolution. He said this vote is too big to hold when all commissioners are not present.

Ken Wieber, a farmer who has fought the project at every step, compared the approval process to watching a traffic crash develop in slow motion over several years. He challenged commissioners to recognize what he said was growing evidence of adverse health effects related to wind turbines.

The Huron County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved the creation of the Deerfield Wind Energy Overlay District, which could host up to 100 wind turbines in the northeast portion of the county. During the board's Oct. 11 meeting, commissioners suspended discussion.

HURON COUNTY - Officials discussed the ramifications a Michigan House bill regarding wind energy would have on the area, and the consensus is, if passed, HB 4254 will not bode well for the county. The bill, which was introduced Feb. 13 by Rep. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City, would prohibit local governments from banning wind generators in their zoning ordinances and establish property line setback, noise and maximum generator size regulations. The problem with the bill is it does not take into account planning basics for zoning, said Russ Lundberg, Huron County Director of Building and Zoning, Tuesday evening during the Huron County Board of Commissioners meeting of the whole.