Offshore Wind Wire

Disgruntled Michigan residents formed an opposition group this week to fight a proposed wind farm on Lake Michigan, according to local reports and documents from the group.

Last month, representatives from Scandia Wind Offshore, LLC met with residents of Mason County, Michigan, and proposed the 1,000 MW Aegier Offshore Wind Farm Project.  According to Scandia officials, a majority of attendees at the meeting were skeptical of the wind farm plans.  The Lake Michigan POWER Coalition was formed to block the project.

The coalition is “opposed to the current Scandia’s [sic] proposal to build 100-200 wind turbines along 20 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline in Mason and Oceana counties,” according to the group’s Web site.  “Building this close-to-shore WIND POWER PLANT would deface 20-25 miles of beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline, damage the ecosystem, and cause a tremendous negative impact on our economy.”

Scandia Wind Offshore is planning additional public meetings on Jan. 18 and 19 at two local high schools.  The coalition intends to pack these meetings with opponents, according to a report in the Ludington Daily News.  The coalition already has about 800 members, the newspaper reported.

On its Web site, the coalition says there is an “inherent unfairness” in asking a locality to host a wind farm which will support a larger region.  The Web site indicates that the coalition would oppose any form of offshore wind, suggesting “that wind turbines belong on farm land only.”