Michigan Elementary School, Utility, Wrangle Over Wind Turbines
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO on 10.17.06
While wind turbines are spinning away at some schools in the Midwest, the blades on windmills at Pigeon, Michigan's Laker Elementary School are locked. Utility Detroit Edison (DTE) claims that the grid-connected turbines don't meet "safety and reliability standards," and has given Laker's school board two options to unlock the blades:
Under one option, the school would disconnect three 65-kilowatt windmills there from DTE's electrical grid, and the turbines would only operate when power is needed at the elementary school and a junior-senior high school building next door. ...Under the second option, the school would pay $180,000 to upgrade its equipment and DTE equipment to be able to operate the turbines on the utility's electrical grid, and then be paid back for a percentage of the excess power the turbines generate.
Wind developer Brion Dickens, who installed the turbines, believes that DTE, which generates power by burning coal, doesn't support the school's use of the turbines, and notes that the first option would ruin the blades "in about a week" from turning them on and off. Interim District Superintendent Bob Drury says the school system doesn't have the money for the upgrades required by DTE, and believes that they're not necessary. DTE's press release on the matter claims that the company has "...expedited an analysis needed to determine the best way to install wind generators for interconnection with Detroit Edison's electric grid," and that they're fully supportive of the school's desire to generate power from the turbines, which were funded by a grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission. The company would also kick in $150,000 to defray costs regardless of which option the school chooses.
DTE notes in its media release that "It is extremely complex to connect large wind generators to the electric grid..." The US Department of Energy's "Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy" bears this out, but also notes that the only standards for grid connection are voluntary -- they otherwise vary from state to state, and utility to utility. We're not in a position to pass judgment on this impasse, so we're interested to hear what you think. Is DTE stomping on a legitimate renewable generation project? Or, did Laker Elementary jump onto the renewable bandwagon without doing its homework? ::The Bay City Times
All I know is MI sucks for trying to get some solar or wind for your home. They don't offer any breaks as far as I know. And it is too expensive to do without. At least the small amount I checked into it.
It sounds like the school should have done some homework and DTE needs to get off it's arse and do it's study.
I am a bit surprised to hear this coming out of Michigan, a state that generally leans politically toward the "progressive" party. I agree with Jilted that MI needs to get on board with other similar states. It is suspicious that a state with the capabilities of Michigan and potential for multiple sustainable energy sources would be so far behind. There may indeed be some corporate influence keeping this state down, and this school in particular. Lawmakers who care about education and the environment should step in and help this school to use these turbines to their fullest potential. Laker Elementary shouldn't be punished for being ahead of DTE technologically.
MI doesn't have much capabilities right now, money wise at least. And I think DTE is concerned about a possibly large amount of energy flooding the grid. It's not that they are behind tech. They asked that the windmills not be turned on until they did their study, which they may have dragged feet. But the school didn't listen. It sounds like they are making an effort to get it going though.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/061002/dem032.html?.v=38
All I know is MI sucks for trying to get some solar or wind for your home. They don't offer any breaks as far as I know.
And it is too expensive to do without
Depends on the individual situation.
http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-8/116178937586000.xml&coll=4
Windmill gridlock at Thumb school prompts probe
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
By JEFF KART
TIMES WRITER
Spurred by idled windmills at Laker Elementary School near Pigeon, the Michigan Public Service Commission has launched a statewide investigation into the interconnection of independent power projects with electric utilities.
DTE Energy, or Detroit Edison, has to file a report by Nov. 14 on the interconnection process it applied to the school project.
The state's 18 other utilities also will be required to file reports on their interconnection projects by Nov. 28. A public hearing on the matter is planned for Jan. 9.