Much like fictional knight Don Quixote, Oxford Township Planning Commissioner George Black has windmills on his mind.
But unlike Quixote, Black doesn’t want to fight them, he wants to regulate them with an ordinance governing everything from size to location to zoning.
‘They’re gonna show up,? he said during last week’s planning commission meeting. ‘I’m trying to put the cart before the horse. I want you guys to start thinking about it.?
Be they for commercial or private use, windmills are gaining in popularity as an eco-friendly, alternative source of electricity.
On a personal scale, some people use wind energy to help power their homes and lower their electric bills.
‘Pretty much every community that we’re working in in Oakland County, we’re getting a demand ? people that are interested in doing this,? said Associate Brian Oppmann, of the Ann Arbor-based Carlisle/Wortman Associates, Inc., the township’s planner.
Right now in the township, there’s one modern windmill in operation on the Crossroads for Youth campus along E. Drahner Rd.
Oppmann said the township received an inquiry regarding windmills from resident Jim Brzezinski on Olive Rd. (just north of W. Drahner Rd. and west of M-24) who’s considering erecting a 35-foot pole with a wind turbine to offset his home’s electrical costs.
‘There’s nothing in the ordinance that says you can’t,? said Commissioner Tom Berger, noting windmills are being used commercially in the Thumb area. ‘Someone could just put one in right now.?
‘We don’t have any regulations on it,? Oppmann said.
Last month, Michigan’s first commercial windmill farm began operating in Huron County.
Consisting of 32 windmills spread over 3,200 acres in Oliver and Chandler townships, Harvest Wind Farm, owned by John Deere Wind Energy, has a total capacity of about 53 megawatts in optimal wind conditions, enough to power more than 15,000 homes, according to The Bay City Times.
A 46-turbine wind farm is slated to be built by Noble Environmental Power near Ubly in Sheridan and Bingham townships.
Called the Noble Thumb Windpark, it’s expected to generate 69 megawatts in optimal wind conditions. Phase II of the windpark calls for erecting another 60 turbines in Sanilac County.
‘It’s gonna happen (here),? Black said. ‘And if we already got (an ordinance) in place, then they know exactly where they can put a windmill, where they can’t put a windmill, how many acres they gotta have for a windmill, so on and so forth.?
Ultimately, the planning commission agreed to let its ordinance review subcommittee and Carlisle/Wortman to research the issue and come up with something to cover residential and commercial windmills in the township.
‘I think there’s enough interest out there,? said Commission Chairman Don Silvester, noting they ‘definitely need? something on the books to address commercial windmills so ?150-foot ones don’t just start popping up all over the place.?
Crossroads for Youth completed its 85-foot high windmill in October 2005.
The turbine, which consists of three 5-foot-long rotors, is used in combination with solar panels to provide electricity for the Adams House, a two-story, 4,600-square-foot residential facility that houses 12 girls.
‘You hope that one of the two is always working,? said Crossroads President Dr. Janet McPeek. ‘With the combination of the two, we get a tremendous result.?
During optimal weather conditions, the solar panels can produce 3 kilowatts of power, while the windmill can generate 2? kilowatts.
According to Crossroads Director of Operations Tom Cater, ‘at times? the electric meter’s at a standstill and the building is ‘going completely off the wind and solar? energy.
‘On days when (the turbine’s) spinning or we’ve got some good sun, our meter stops,? he said.
Prior to the introduction of wind and solar power, along with other energy efficient/cost-saving measures, McPeek said the electric bills for Adams House were ‘skyrocketing.?
Carter said the average monthly bill used to be approximately $1,400.
Last year, the average bill was $322 a month. The highest bill was about $531.