CARO - State Representative Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) is encouraging local officials, landowners, farmers and residents interested in learning more about managing the local development of wind energy to attend a Dec. 9 workshop presented by the Land Policy Institute at Michigan State University and MSU Extension.
"As Michigan's leader in wind energy, the Thumb is experiencing more and more developers and utilities seeking opportunities to meet the state's increased demand for wind energy," said Brown, who worked to enact the state's new renewable energy standard as a member of the Energy and Technology Committee. "While this can provide vital jobs and other economic benefits for our area, each landowner and municipality must evaluate for themselves whether wind energy meets their goals. It is essential that our landowners and communities have the information they need to make decisions that serve their own interests first and foremost."
The Wind Energy Siting and Policy Workshop will be held from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the Tuscola Technology Center in Caro. The address is 1385 Cleaver Road. The workshop, which includes resource materials and refreshments, costs $55, or $45 for Farm Bureau members or Master Citizen Planners. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Dec. 2. Registration can be done at www.citizenplanner.msu.edu. Brown reminds residents that his Web site, house.mi.gov/tbrown, contains links to wind energy resources and a checklist for landowners who are evaluating a wind lease.
MSU and the Michigan Farm Bureau are holding the workshops statewide to address the fact that many municipalities are still formulating policies to address the explosive growth of wind energy caused in part by the state's new renewable energy standard. The new standard requires utilities to produce at least 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind or solar, which will help create thousands of jobs in Michigan and attract millions of dollars in private investment to our communities.
"With wind energy growing so quickly, now is the time for Thumb communities to come together so they can manage its growth in a way that works for them," Brown said. "This workshop can be a valuable tool in providing the knowledge necessary to do that."