What is already slated to be the largest wind farm in Michigan could within two years be twice the size.
Chicago-based Invenergy announced Tuesday it is in the early stages of expanding its four township, 125 turbine, 30,000 acre-wind farm development to five more townships — Lafayette, Emerson, North Star, Newark and Hamilton — in southern Gratiot County.
Kevin E. Parzyck, Invenergy Wind senior project manager, said the second phase of the project will be very similar to the first phase, and should be in the same ballpark of costing $440 million and generating 200 megawatts of electricity. The second phase of the project, like the first, will create 10 to 15 long-term jobs, and extend construction jobs for about 150 people.
DTE has agreed to buy first-phase power for 20 years, and that will provide 4% of their total energy production. No agreement yet on this new development. I hope I am in a position to be able to go grab some shots of these...
Turbine components should begin arriving in July, and the 328-foot-tall turbines, reaching a height of 464 feet from the ground when the 271-foot-long spinning rotors extend vertically, should be erected by late 2011 or early 2012, he said.
... and I never did make it over to the Thumb. Maybe this summer/fall I can hit them both. If not, McBain it is.
Beats the hell out of more coal plants, that's for sure. Yea, us!