Click here to go to the No2wind blog/discussion group.

You'll find articles with a special focus on wind power and Leelanau County.

Below is a short video recording of from the Stoney Corners Wind Farm near McBain/Cadillac.

Stoney Corners Wind Farm from no2wind on Vimeo.

Our county has been identified as one of 4 regions having "the highest wind energy harvest potential in the state." The state is planning between 435 and 778 wind turbines taller than the Statue of Liberty in our zone (Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee Co.)

The link to download the final Wind Energy Resource Zone Report is here (pdf).

I have started a blog/discussion group with articles of interest on wind power for those looking to stop the development of wind farms in their community in the state of Michigan (or any state). The site is here.

I will post links to articles on wind power and would love to hear from you if you have articles/information to add to the site. Email me here if you have any questions.

Here's a copy of a letter to the editor I sent June 26, 2009 to the Leelanau Enterprise in response to a request for comment from Timothy Ewing, Chair, Cleveland Township Planning Commission. If you live in Cleveland Township and would like to comment on the report, please email Timothy at tjewing@chartermi.net .

I would like to encourage fellow Leelanau County residents to voice their opposition to designating our area as a wind energy resource zone. (Letters to the Editor, June 25, 2009)

The State of Michigan has identified our area as one of only four zones in the entire state as having the highest wind energy potential, making Leelanau County ripe for wind farm development.

Their energy figures are based on the need for between 435 and 778 giant wind turbines, each larger than the Statue of Liberty, scattered throughout our hillsides.

To site a wind farm requires vast amounts of land. 100 acres of land is required per turbine. This means that between 43,500 and 77,800 acres of land will be needed in Leelanau, Benzie, and Manistee counties to meet their energy goals.

In addition, 439 tons of concrete are required for each turbine base. That's 190,000-341,000 tons of concrete. They'll pave paradise, put up a parking lot.

This doesn't take into account the siting and construction of the necessary transmission lines cutting through your property that will further degrade our county.

Wind power is an intermittent and unreliable source of energy and demand for wind energy is being pushed by our state and federal government without regard for unintended consequences.

I have started a web site resource at http://no2wind.org for county residents interested in discussion and links to articles on wind energy. A link to a copy of the Wind Energy Resource Zone Board report can be found there or at http://www.leelanau.cc/clevelandtwp.asp.

Please contact your local planning commission to comment on the report.