County Wind Energy Planning Project

The Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA), with partial funding from the Michigan Coastal Management Program, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, has partnered with Manistee County to develop a wind energy plan for the county.
GLREA will also produce a guidance manual of best practices, based on its experiences in Manistee County, for other Michigan counties to use in development their own county wind energy plans.

The Manistee County Wind Energy Planning process seeks to address geographic, institutional and social barriers to wind energy industry development in Manistee County.  The wind energy plan identifies these barriers and provides recommendations to address them. 
GLREA involved many stakeholders in the process.  In developing the Manistee County Wind Energy Plan, GLREA held stakeholder meetings in Manistee County and Lansing, Michigan.  Additionally, GLREA hosted a wind town meeting at the 2007 Michigan Energy Fair.
GLREA has also worked with the Michigan State University Land Policy Institute to develop maps that identify those areas in the county that are the most suitable for wind energy development.

GLREA is providing the following documents for public review and comment:

GLREA will hold a public hearing on Thursday, December 13 at 6:00 pm in the Manistee County Courthouse Board of Commissioner’s room located at 412 Third Street, Manistee, Michigan, for the purpose of receiving public comment. 

Oral comments may be made at the Public Hearing on the proposed model ordinance and the accompanying Manistee County Wind Energy Plan.

Written comments can be mailed or hand delivered to the Manistee County Planning Department, 415 Third Street, Manistee, Michigan, 49660.  Email comments can be addresses to planning@manisteecounty.net.

For more information, contact Jeremy Wittrock at the GLREA office or by email, Jeremy.Wittrock@glrea.org.