WARREN – If Michigan doubles its use of wind energy to generate electricity, consumers could save $3.59 billion by the year 2050, while farmers and land owners on which these gigantic wind towers stand could receive millions more each year in land-lease payments, says a new report issued Thursday.
A wind vision for new growth in Michigan, released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the Wind Energy Foundation (WEF) draws its data from calculations made using the U.S. Department of Energy’s new 2015 report Wind Vision: A new era for wind power in the United States.
“With stable policy we can grow wind energy and we can save Michigan homeowners and businesses over $3.59 billion dollars,” said Tom Kiernan, CEO of AWEA. “Because of American ingenuity, wind energy’s costs have dropped by 66 percent in just the last six years and by continuing to invest in wind over a billion dollars in savings can be passed onto consumers in Michigan and across the Great Lakes region.”
According to Wind Vision wind energy can more than double from supplying the U.S. with over four percent of the country’s electricity today to 10 percent by 2020, 20 percent by 2030 and become a leading source of electricity in the U.S. by 2050 at 35 percent.
Wind can supply enough electricity for over 710,000 homes in Michigan according to the new data. Added economic benefits for the Great Lakes State can grow to over $11.6 million dollars in added annual property tax revenue and Michigan landowners would be paid by wind farm owners an additional $7.6 million in lease payments a year by 2030.
Up to 4,000 jobs are supported by wind power today in Michigan, including well-paying manufacturing jobs at 33 factories producing wind power parts and supplies around the state. Wind energy has already attracted $2.9 billion in capital investment to Michigan and rural landowners currently receive $4.6 million a year in land lease payments.
“There is a variety of ways to get additional wind,” said Deirdre Hirner, Midwestern Policy Director for American Wind Energy Association. “It could be more wind farms, it could be utilities purchasing more wind-generated electricity from other states in the region.
“By adding additional wind energy into the mix has net positive economic benefits for Michigan,” she said. “Michigan would get $11.8 billion in additional property taxes by 2020. If build more wind towers, Michigan would see increased annual relief payments to Michigan famers and land owners. The savings on electricity bills would be over time. Also, once you invest in towers, then the fuel (wind) is free. If you use coal or natural gas to generate electricity, you have to restock your fuel sources.”
Studies consistently show wind energy as having the largest role in cost-effectively meeting Clean Power Plan. Wind energy already supplies Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas with more than 20 percent of their electricity. Wind supplies more than 12 percent for nine states. Wind can reliably supply much higher amounts of electricity according to a report by the utility consultant The Brattle Group which found wind supplied at times as much as 40 percent on the main Texas grid earlier this year and 60 percent on the main utility system in Colorado.
