The creation of jobs is a joke. Once the wind farm is complete, most all of those jobs will go away. Also, no compensation in electric rates would compensate for the view of all those windmills from the lakeshore. My only fear is that regardless how we vote, it will probably go ahead any way. Government for the people is a misnomer. Big Government will do what it wantgs to do and that trickles down to smaller government as well (Townships).

I think the idea of wind farms in the lake is great. I come from an area were I lived within 1-2 miles from 2 coal powered plants and its was miserable and very unhealthy. And the coal dust was worse, especially on windy days. Obviously people around here are not very environmentaly friendly. There is also a concern that it will affect the fishing around here. HA! WELL IT CAN'T MAKE IT ANY WORSE THEN THOSE ANNOYING INDIAN FISHING NETS THAT ARE AROUND. So what's the difference?!!!

My God, after seeing those proposed pictures this has to be stopped. This will absolutely wreck the landscape of one of the most beautiful parts of this country. Wind power is not the magic power source it has been marketed to be and as far as jobs....is a few jobs work destroying this treasure that the Lord has provided. What are you people who are backing this hoax thinking???? Please, Please, Please don't allow this to happen.

A chance to do something that may benefit the environment through what is at least semi-green energy and permanent job creation for our area. Sounds win-win, but I don't have the privilidge of it affecting the view from my kitchen. The lake isn't private, just the beach right? I'm sure if they can't sell Pentwater on it, the project will end up somewhere else along with the benefits.

This windfarm has to be stopped! The shoreline from Ludington to Silver Lake is the natural wonder that all our tourists come to see and enjoy and tourism is what really keeps Mason County thriving. The idea of a boost in restaurant and hotel business because of the construction is shortlived and shortsighted. I remember the Consumers Project 40 years ago. Most of the construction workers came from other parts of the country and left again with the profits in their pockets when it was finished. This time they would take the profits and leave behind the destruction of the beach, our biggest business.

Why did the Scandia Wind/Havgul Corps. pick our particular area? There is proportionately the same amount of wind here, that there is in other sectors of Lk. Michigan, that have little or no population along the shoreline. Either take it there, or upland on high hills where no dense population exists, that would be a win-win for all. This isn't rocket science, it's plain common sense, and still achieves the goals. And keeps one of the best scenic places on earth still intact for fisherman and sightseers alike.

Heartbreaking to see the simulated photos. It will destroy the vistas; the unique views of the lighthouse and Ludington will be changed forever. I really do not think people will favor to vacation in this area knowing the uninterrupted views and our spectacular sunsets will be a thing of the past. So sad. Ludington and Mason County sure do need an economic boost. But letting a foreign company come in to our community and destroy this Michigan treasure, Lake Michigan and the Lighthouse, is not the way to get there.

Very few of those jobs if any will go to local people. These are very specialized installations and there are crews that travel all over the world installing them. They will be here just long enough to do the job and then they are gone. The people that remain to maintain them will also likely be outsiders. We will not see our electric bills go down one cent and if anything they will go up because the wind farms are terribly expensive and the payback is very slow. The energy they produce is just a drop in the bucket compared to alternate sources. There are plenty of places for them where they will not impact so many people. The beautiful lakeshore, one of our greatest assets is not one of them. I know there are a lot of farmers who would love to lease some of their land to the wind farms.

After reading the article and viewing the simulated pictures of this "wind farm" proposal, I am completely against this idea. The pros do not in anyway outweigh the cons in this issue. Our natural resources in this area, including our beaches and views of the lake are the main draw for one of our greatest sources of income - tourism. It would be a mistake of gigantic proportions for our government officals to allow this project to even proceed any further than it already has. The photos almost look like the annual "April Fool's Day" joke that is published in the Daily News. I just wish that was all that this was - a joke.

I attended the meeting as a open minded resident looking for information and for the most part came away with a feeling of dismay at so much ignorance from many of the attendes, couldn't help feeling I walked into a tea bagger rally.

I have been vacationing in Pentwater for the last 24 years. If these turbines are in the landscape, I am taking my tourism money somewhere else. I have no problem with wind energy as long as the turbines are put on land. We have plenty in Illinois...but I come for the view. I'm sure Wisconsin or Minnesota would enjoy my tourism money.

I cannot believe that people dont want this. Give me free electric and come put them turbines in my back yard. I stood right under about 300 of them in Desert Hot Springs in Calif. and all I heard was a little swoosh noice. Bring them to Sheridan Township and sign me up.....

The world has come to our shore because we have a unique resource in a world hungry for energy. We would be foolish to refuse the benefits to the world. Do you remember the gloom and doom that greeted the proposal for the Pumped Storage Project? Do you recall that so many advancements in technology have been resisted by the vocal few? Maybe the world will come here to see this amazing work. Maybe our grandchildren will consider the sight of the turbines as grand as the residents of Paris consider the once-reviled Eiffel tower.Rather than thinking of ourselves and now,think of coal miners,think of the people of W. virginia whose mountains are being leveled for the electricity we all want--think of the future. If Europe can build and use these, so can we. I thank the far=sighted people trying to provide us this marvelous opportunity.

THIS project will benefit a lot more people than the few living along the shore line that are complaining...how about getting back to the GOOD OF THE MANY OUTWEIGHT THE GOOD OF THE FEW

I have recently seen groups of large windmills in person from 2-3 miles away in the North Sea off the coast of England. They were impressive to me. Quite beautiful when you put it in perspective. Clean power. Human inginuity using God's resources in a responsible, non-consuming way to power the future. Europe has a jump-start. North America is finally getting the idea. Many of the wind farms in Europe were built and are maintained with tax money. Ludington and Pentwater are not being asked for tax dollars for the proposed wind farm. Michigan residents or American tax payers aren't either. Private business wants to invest in Americas future by building this farm. They want to invest in this area's future by supplying good paying jobs. They have selected us as a beneficiary. Some say the view of Lake Michigan will be destroyed. Perhaps it will in some peoples minds, it will improve the view for me. No, I don't live on the beach but I visit it often year-around. Will property values along the shoreline decrease? Who knows, maybe someone will purposly purchase a home overlooking the wind farm. (I live very near a hog farm in Riverton. Did my property value decrease? No. I would rather have the pleasant view of a wind farm than the not so pleasant odor of hog manure.) This wind farm has potential long lasting benefits for many, which far out-weigh the minor inconveniences of a few. Let's get on board with the energy needs of tomorrow and reap the benefits right here in our small, west Michigan communities. Lake Michigan will get wind farms. This area can be the first.

All of the squawking about the miseries of bringing wind energy development into your lake is meaningless if wind energy truly replaces coal burning, cleans the air, weans the US from its dependence on imported oil, helps keep electricity rates low, and has a net positive effect on the US economy in the long term. But exactly zero of the above purported benefits about wind energy are true! The technical, environmental and economic realities of grid connected wind energy development are worse than embarrassing. They are criminal. So do not complain about your view, your fish, your birds or any of these things without revealing the grossly overstated benefits of wind energy. From experience, I am convinced that you can't beat wind projects without this side of the argument. My friend John Droz has put together an easy to understand presentation about this at energypresentation.info This is a great place to start. Also renewable energy world magazine is waking up. http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=57633 One more great resource is at http://www.clepair.net/windsecret.html This industry gets 65% of their revenues from our tax dollars, and have lied to gain access to the subsidies. Please do your part to help escort them back to Denmark and Germany and Spain. Thank you!

Please do not ruin the tourism potential of Pentwater. The slides really drove home how intrusive and disastrous these would be to the region. These plans are a monstrosity and need to be stopped.

If the project goes through, I think everyone in Oceana and Mason counties should get free electricity for life. Since it will be the largest wind energy farm in the world, us local people should be compensated. That would be one way of getting something that everyone living here could use and it would definetly bring more business and homeowners to our counties!!!!

A field of offshore windmills producing clean power would likely be an additional tourist attraction. At 3 miles out, they'd be a whimsical sight. I can't believe that the economics really work in their favor, however. The cost of building and securing all those towers so far out into the lake would be astronomical. Risk factors are probably higher than the potential return on investment.

COAL'S the answer! Most you people make me sick! Wind towers are NOT the way to go! If pentwater and ludington allow this to go, tourism will take a huge hit. Next they will want to put them up on the dunes at the state park!

There will be over a 1000 jobs needed to create this wind farm, and if we act quickly we will be the first place for this company to do the construction. A lot of supporting and administrative business will grow up to support the future installations all around the Great Lakes. The first mover town gets that business and those jobs and they go on and on for years to come. What a wonderful boon for our town. It could return it to its former glory. All those vacant homes would be bought to support the people staffing both the construction and the administration of the projects. The 20+ percent of our population that is unemployed would have a chance to get retrained and employed. Many others from other parts of Michigan would find jobs and move here buying both vacant and new homes. And they would all spend their money here. They would want to rent our fishing boats for their vacations. Not to mention the tourist who would come to see such a wondrous wind farm. This is a fantastic opportunity for Ludington, Mason County, Oceana County, and Michigan, but we have to speak up and be counted on the side of the clean business. Let your voice be heard, write to the editor, your mayor, your state representative today and flood their mail and email boxes with your support. I think that the Ludington Daily News should hold a poll and ask who wants these jobs, this clean energy business, this tourist’s attraction? As with all the programs that are good for our economy, there are those who don't want change, but that space in front of the pump station is going to be turned into a wind farm sometime in the not too distant future. It is just too good a spot to leave unused. The question is will we in Mason County move strongly and fast enough to be the first mover and capture all the ongoing support industry that goes with being the first mover, or will we let Holland or some other County get all those good jobs and economic development that comes with being the first mover in this business.

Maybe we should ban all boat traffic on the Great Lakes too. Those Lower Lakers, charter boats, sailboats, and car ferrys really ruin the view too. ;o)

Wind energy produces minimal energy at best. The wind has to be blowing at 25 MPH. Try sticking your hand out in your vehicle at that rate of speed? This according to Rep Eric Massa of NY at a town hall meeting. The energy cannot be stored. It is lost for every mile of transmission lines. The turbines have to shut down with high winds. Risk of friction fires from the blades. No insurance company will insure them because of fire risk.The "farms" have to be located away from cities. The side effects of living up close and personal are seizures, irregular heart beat, anxiety , depression and insomnia. The pushers all deny this. But Europe has been using wind farms for a long time. France has just banned them. Very little energy produced there from them. No coal fired plant has ever been shut down because a wind farm was built. So why are they being pushed everywhere ? The energy credits as in the cap and trade bill.This is how it works. In NC, there are a lot of coal fired power plants. The air is filthy. So the owners of these power plants can buy renewable energy credits from say Texas wind farm owners. Then just keep right on producing electricity . This is already going on even though the bill has not been passed. Matt Taiibi of says it is the next bubble , like the dot coms and houseing. Except the middle man is cut out, the money goes straight to Wall Street. Educate yourselves. Powerful lawmakers are behind this. windaction.org and cohoctonwindwatch are good sites.

The sound of wind turbines (which sound like washing machines) will carry onshore. Many people have also complained about health issues with some sorta of sound frequency disturbance if you are located within 2 miles. Also dispite what development companies say, this will lower potential buyers in the area by 80%. Several studies show that 20% of the public like and think windturbines are attractive and like helping the environment. However, most people would not like living by these farms, nor buy homes in the area because of the intrusive view. Even many environmentalists do not agree with these windfarms because they do disturb nature. They also say it wont affect fishing but Ive researched the inpact on other areas and what Ive found is fish wont bite when the windturbines are running. Sleeping bear dunes in Traverse wouldnt allow a windfarm by their dunes. This if built will be the biggest offshore windfarm in North America. Other windfarms in other countries are built 15 miles out into water. Notice how close this will be to Silver Lake. After all the research I've done, I dont think this is acceptable unless they move this out further to an acceptable distance from shore.

Is their a poll out their on how the local citizens who pay the majority of the taxes that are most likely going to fund this project? I have a feeling that the Americans who will be paying for this (via their taxes) are opposed to this plan. When is the tax payer ever going to get a break?

We all can thank all the people who voted for Obama for this nonsence and this is just the tip of what is to come. 1000 jobs I don't know one person who puts up windmills for a living. I'll bet they have a crew that travels and builds these things where ever they can,hopefully not here. Look at all the jobs at the project not many. It does not take a hugh army of workers to monitor some meters in some small office

I think it's crazy that people are worried about the view of the lake when we have condos that hardly anyone occupies blocking our beautiful new marina. At least you can see the water around the turbines....you can't see anything through all of those condos! I doubt wind turbines are going to ruin our tourism...that's just silly!

I get a kick out of the out-of-towners complaining about the timing of the meeting. If it's important to them - not just an inconvience - they would show up. But they expect ALL of the year-round folks - not just those who cater to their needs - to bend over for them. It's interesting, but not surprising, that most of the horror stories are coming from said lakefront property owners. I don't think that tourism would be hurt one iota, and in fact, such a facility might bring more tourists. It might hurt lakeshore values a slightly but there will always be a demand for lakefront properties and the values would recover. That said, this project is highly unlikely to ever get beyond the planning stages.

How about this? Take it to Lk. Superior, it's alot windier up there, and noone's around much either.

NationalAccounting must be a dumbocrat!

If Pentwater, Silver Lake & Ludington get to enjoy the view. I hope Epworth gets a good view of this. Ever sit and watch a SUNSET!! The beauty will be gone forever, THATS REALLY SAD!

I was just thinking who owns the lake and the land under it? O the people of the state of michigan so I guess a decision on how to use this resource should be made at the state level for what is best for all the people of michigan and not just what the few adjacent land owners think is their private resource.......

People are worried about the noise from the windvanes coming on shore? What about the roar of the dune buggies destroying dunes every day during the summer? What a joke!

I have been a full time resident in Ludington and now am a vacation home owner in Pentwater. I go to Michigan for the pristine lake views. I do not enjoy a homestead break on my property taxes. I employ only local craftsmen, plumbers, electricians and landscapers. I buy my groceries and household items locally. Please don't write off the people who have invested in this area as only thinking about themselves. We come for the best things going in the area. The renderings are shocking to those of us who live near the beach. My family is a big proponent of wind energy. Can we not put these farms on the land? The pump storage project brought a lot of jobs - but they are gone now. Look again at what this will do to the shoreline. Think about all the tourism dollars that will go somewhere else. Did anyone mention the noise the windmills make? Lots to think about.

I am astonished that so many people are against this. 'Not In My Backyard' thinking, laid atop false information about, for instance, how much wind velocity is needed to extract useful power, and 'I don't know one person who puts up windmills for a living' (this person clearly hasn't been reading about new, local windmill turbine business), and on and on. The sound will not carry onshore; go to California, and see (and listen to) the thousands of windmills in Palm Springs, or around the Altamont Pass. This project is privately funded. No cost to taxpayers; actually, the utility will pay license fees to state and local municipalities. Lower rates for utility ratepayers. Oh, yeah, and blame it on Obama. Or call someone interested in jobs, and local license fees, and lower utility rates, a 'dumbocrat'. Wow. Great examples of critical thinking. Where was the outcry over the Pumped Storage project? Job-wise, it is a direct example of the construction job impact, as well as the ongoing-operations job impact. I find windmills esthetically beautiful. And, each windmill means the Sargent sand company in Ludington will dig out roughly one dunetop fewer; the sands might not be needed for the oil wells in Texas (which is where that sand goes now), because of the local energy produced. I find the permanent depletion of our dune landscape far more troubling than power-producing windmills relatively far offshore. For each tourist 'lost', there will probably be one gained. If you don't like graceful windmills on your horizon in Pentwater, head up to Glen Arbor.

Keep in mind theres no present grid or storage for windturbine generated power. The Project cant handle retaining that much power in its present state. Forget listening to what the development companies are telling you. These windturbines dump hydraulic oil into the lakes, not to mention they are trying to force us to accept having these things too close to our shores to save on their building costs. They can switch the field to an arched pattern that goes out 9 to 15 miles out of view of Pentwater if they are going to do this. The way they have this set it should begin at where Mac Dunes comes down to the lake and goes clear till Iris Rd. in Ludington. Research http://scandiawind.com/Aegirproject.html or http://scandiawind.com/images/GLOW%20Report%209-1-09_FINAL%20(2)%20(6).pdf. Also google Michiganglow, you will see how they plan on incorporating the public to accept the windfarms and plan on offering minimal rebates on electric for residents. They are putting these 3 miles out because thats federal water jurisdiction verses state. These windfarms will be powering Chicago and Detroit. They have very little benefit to residents in the area. Research other windfarms (which are smaller than this one) including Denmark, California, and you will see residents DO NOT like them. Also google various studies and you tube also has many videos on wind turbines.

Some things to think about. First, you WILL be able to see wind turbines at 4 miles. Noise is also an issue. Anyone who's ever been near one understands this. Also, the benefits at this distance are not as high as purposed. Electrically speaking, there will be EXTREME voltage drop from water to shore where the energy can actually be dispursed. From a numbers perspective, lets assume these turbines are capable of producing 2.5 mW under full load (which would be rare). Also, lets assume every household in the area has 100 amp, 220 volt systems which equals 22,000 watts per house. The energy provided by the turbines would, in theory, be able to produce electricity to just under 23,000 houses. Sounds great so far, except for a few things. The voltage drop previously explained is going to drop that number drastically. Many houses are using 200 amp systems which doubles the watts needed at capacity. So your number of houses powered is now gone down to half at best. Let's now look at the energy needed to power the business sector of the area. These businesses require even more energy. Large factories may being using 1000's of amps of 440 to 480 volts continuously. For those who wish to do the math: volts x amps = watts. What I'm saying is this, the energy provided will not justify the economic damage that will be done as far as fishing and tourism. This doesn't even take into account the beauty of the landscape which will be tarnished. And the jobs will be limited and temporary at best. So what's the longterm gain for the Pentwater/Ludington area? That's the decision that has to be made. From this reader's perspective, it won't be worth it.

A reasonable estimate is that this project will destroy about $500 million of property value!! Why would anyone choose to purchase lakefront property along the twenty mile stretch of the wind turbine project?! Conservatively, lakefront property is currently valued at $5000 per foot of lakefront (before adding the value of any building on the property.) A wind farm out the front door could reduce this value to $3000 per foot resulting in an aggregate loss to lakefront property owners of almost a quarter billion dollars! And this loss would have a damaging ripple effect on many other (non-lakefront) property owners in the area. Putting it all together, a wind turbine farm as proposed could easily destroy $500 million in property value with a typical lakefront property owner losing approximately $200,000 of value. Apart from the inherent unfairness of imposing such a large indirect cost on a tiny fraction of the State’s population, this half billion dollar property devaluation would severely impact both property tax revenue and economic activity in the area.

This is a great project and I think they look cool and Hi-tech. Most folks only talk green until it gets close to home. This is one step in the right direction for Michigan. Now if we could only convert the stinkey smoke spewing Badger to wind power we would be a green and clean area. I wonder if people had the same thoughts back when the pump storage project was proposed?

Commercial wind farming is a scam. None of these companies could be profitable without generous taxpayer subsidies - YOU will be paying for the construction and YOU will be paying inflated prices from the electricity generated. These companies prey on poor communities who think they will get jobs. The jobs will be transient. The impact permanent. Oppose this project with logic as well as emotion. Not one wind project anywhere in the world has reduced our dependence on fossil fuels. Coal and natural gas are extremely cheap sources of electricity; so is hydro. Wind and biofuels are incredibly expensive. You will be unwitting stooges in an experiment to which the answer is already known. Oppose this project.

Attention Pro Wind Farmers: A suggestion: as a true demonstration of your support, and your OWN willingness to sacrifice the interests of the few for the benefit of the many, donate part or all of your real estate property(s) to the state of MI for wind farming. This is of course, if you do indeed actually OWN real estate, much less lake front property. Something tells me that if you actually owned lake front property, your opinion would be different. More on PRO WInd Farmers: 1) probably do not like swimming and waterfront resources and never visit the beaches 2) do not own lake front property 3) are unaware that the word "JOBS" is NOT a one-size-fits-all description or solution to any local economic job crisis (consider technical skill level and nationwide bidding for jobs). If you actually attended the meeting last Tues, you would clearly recall that Mr. Dirdal plainly stated that "possibly 100 to 150 long term jobs would be created, and there is no guarantee that the bidding for these positions would make them local". 4) this side of the state is TOURISM dependent, specifically "resort" tourism (i e long term returning, real estate investing interest) and NOT "transient" short term, spectacle sight seers (want to see it, but I wouldn't want to live there). 5) conveniently overlook the similarly touted "Ludington Pump Project" that in essence is a stand-by battery for Chicago and Detroit and not the be-all, crisis-end-all electrical solution as once promised in the 1970's. 6) do not realize the potential tax loss impact as a result of lakeside property values falling and the inevitable trickle down throughout the entire local communities. Please get your facts straight, and realize we ALL potentially stand to lose something here. And who actually gains here? Detroit and Chicago or some other electrical-power hungry entity? There will be little if any local benefits.

Hey we have tried putting up windmills on land in Ocean and Mason counties ha that didn't work ...where you people who want all the electricty for your homes and gadgets to come from the MOON!!!! how about cutting back your consumption so we don't need more generating stations?? O i guess not ... spoiled americans..........

For those of us that have the lakeviews, we pay high taxes to Pentwater for them. We hire local contractors, buy our goods in town. Frequent the restaurants and shops yet don't get the benefits of the schools, etc. We do this for the beautiful lake vistas and sunsets, not so that we can see these wind turbines. Please don't cut off your noses to spit your face for these. The jobs will be temporary and the workers will be imported, not hired locally, due to the specialization of skills needed. Please keep the one of a kind place as beautiful as it is today.

Stop the windfarms now!!!! I am a full time property owner and think the pictures are hideous not to mention the last of storage for the electricity generated, the noise, the threat to the environment, increased taxes to fund it, and on and on. And Sargent sand company should be stopped also before we don't have any dunes left! Come on Ludington, Pentwater, Epworth, Hamlin Lake....... WAKE UP before it is too late.!

Stop the madness!!! A $3 BILLION project that won't pay for itself EVER. How crazy is this?? Enough subsidies, enough gov't handouts of our hard earned money to finance more boondogles -- and right in our beautiful lake no less. I don't care how many jobs it temporarilly creates (the measure of everything around here), just come to our senses. Drill baby, drill.

I am a wind developer. I grew up in Michigan. I know the ins and outs of this industry. I can tell you that this proposal is outrageous and this project will most likely never get built due to how close it is to the shore and a State Park. I don't understand why this developer chose this area and chose to address the public so soon. Maybe they want to stir up the waters, literally. They achieved that. I would like to point out that an organization called the Great Lakes Wind Council has already identified (after a lot of research and effort) the best sites in MI's Great Lakes to build wind farms...and none of them are this close to the shore, nor near the Silver Lake area (which I find to be very beautiful also): http://www.michiganglowcouncil.org/meeting_materials/111009/mk_morning_agenda_111009_Presentation.pdf Please point this out at the next meeting. Maybe I will attend also. Also, if you want to become active in offshore wind, or more knowledgeable, attend this meeting or dial-in to listen: http://www.michiganglowcouncil.org/meeting_materials/011910/meeting_011910.html

I agree completely with Robert. He is telling the truth. It is really sad to see the poll results on the home page - that 2/3 of Ludington area readers support wind energy on shore. You really should do your homework, and educate the community early on. Interesting to read that pro wind people try to turn the resisters into NIMBYs. Don't let them do it! Fight industrial wind because it creates massive industrial sprawl over a thousand times more per unit of energy than any other source except solar. Fight it because it fails to replace coal or oil burning at any meaningful level due to its sporadic production. Fight it because 65% of the industry's revenues come from some sort of government handout aka YOUR TAX DOLLARS, and STILL drive electricity rates higher. It's really time to wake up and admit that wind turbines make a great icon, but are short - way short - on delivering affordable, responsible energy solutions.

Our Governor is a big proponent of wind power so I am sure she will be behind this 3 billion dollar project as well as the rest of our officials. Michigan will be green with electricity from these wonderful giants of clean making energy.

Granholm just approved millions in add'l funding for the Pure Michigan campaign - an unprecedented tourism budget for the state, allowing the Pure Michigan campaign to continue to be broadcasted on a national scale. With the continuation of the campaign, the nation will fortunately continue become more and more aware that the stretch between little point and big point sable offers some of the best beaches in the state (and ranks very high on a national-level as well). People won't travel to these beaches to watch the sun set over wind farms. They will go elsewhere. Think about the tourism ads you see for Bahamas, Carribean -- do you see any windmills? Would you not have to disclose "wind farm views" before renting your cottage, your hotel, or your B&B? Think about it -- and don't think for one minute that wind farms are a tourist attraction. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. Do people go to West Virginia to tour coal mines? Come on!

Here are links to interviews with individuals in a Wisconsin town that recently allowed their community to host wind turbines (the interviews were conducted by a Michigan-based group). Two particularly interesting interviews (from the group of 10, which are all informative in their own way). http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/life-with-industrial-wind-turbines-in-wisconsin-part-2/ http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/life-with-industrial-wind-turbines-in-wisconsin-part-9/ It's hard to listen to the dairy farmer describe the physical effects of electrical pollution on his cattle and not wonder what the effects will be on the fish and the delicate ecosystem off our shorelines: Here's another link regarding the effects turbines can have on people - is this one reason why wind farm corporations are targeting remote areas (such as the lake and our national forest to the north)? Fewer people nearby to complain of deteriorating health, making it harder to notice the pollution that turbines give off. Perhaps the fish in the lake or the deer, birds, and wildlife in the forest will simply choose to leave the area, in a move similar to what residents near turbines are doing: http://www.wind-watch.org/documents/be-concerned-about-health-effects-from-wind-turbine-effects/

Was it mentioned at the meeting that the turbines must be lighted? I've read that for the safety of boats and airplanes that they are lighted. It will be like looking at a parking lot at night as we stargaze!

this is long - please read it. i worry about protecting the great lakes water from it being farmed out. i'm not wishing to throw around uninformed negative comments - but for projects with such possible far-reaching negatives, it's necessary to follow up by researching any names, corporations - anyone involved in such as this project. first the paper states it was 'sandia wind' - well, google and you will find sandia national laboratories - u.s. government wind projects....and now it's being called scandia wind (the first name might have just been a typo?)....and news reports also say scandia wind is minnesota - but do a google search for scandia wind and their website pops up showing the lake michigan project but also a huge texas project - and the home base for a jim swafford heading scandia.....and read an article: 'parmer city eyed for giant wind farm', 6/17/09....there might be nothing at all to this confusing information, but i think people should play around with it, doing the dot-to-dots....also include some other names that are now included when you google together: granholm and boone pickens (billionaire oilman from texas now acquiring texas land with underground acquifiers and most recently, wind turbines)....find where he's quoted saying the next oil is water....certainly i'm not saying his name is linked to scandia...just mentioning another, very influential, very monied businessman with eyes on the water - please - anyone who is against this project, even if it's because you simply don't want it to spoil the beauty of the lake - please just go a step further and try and see if there really is any larger picture at hand that the public may not notice until the damage is done....after all - that many wind turbines sure can pump a lot of water if it would want to...i understand the great lakes water law recently passed does not allow our water to be tankered out, but i understand it can be placed into bottles first without a problem....and also, who would own the land under that part of lake michigan those turbines would be sitting on?...and back to 'sandia' - any remote connection to the u.s. government involvement at all?...and why?

Those who are negative to offshore wind WITHOUT having ever visited an offshore wind farm or its vicinity -- PLEASE take the time to do so. If you think education is expensive, try ignorance -- and watch how far it gets you. Offshore wind is a great commodity. It is stronger 2x than on-shore -- and water life stills lives, swims and spawns around the foundations of turbines (just as with life around reefs). I urge Ludington to set up some spring-summer tours of the systems in Denmark -- or around the coast where you will find more people than you have in Oceana and Mason enjoying beautiful, populated and well-touristed places. Why do you think the Global Summit went to Copenhagen? Allow the world to have ANOTHER reason for coming to Mason-Oceana! Give your youth something to gain familiarity with - and to build a 21st century career around. First hand knowledge will at least be an alternative to sticking one's head in the sand -- and waiting for money and the future to go on down the road.

Wind farms aren’t bad; they just need to be properly regulated! This is my third posting on this project. My first two were in direct opposition to the wind farm, but after a more careful analysis, I realized I made an error in my comments. I am a financial planner by trade and I am always looking at an enterprise for its profit potential. In an effort to be more knowledgeable in this arena I began to do research about wind farms. With all due respects to the scientists and engineers, I have formulated the following “amateur” opinion. When I first started my research I stumbled across an independently prepared report drafted in 2004 and modified in 2008 for the Governor's office regarding the feasibility of wind farming in Michigan. That report linked me to other reports similar in nature. After studying the information, I agree with the conclusion that this is a really good place to have a wind farm, and perhaps, the best darn place ever to have a wind farm. I also studied the potential construction of the towers and their mountings to the lake bed. In my findings, I discovered that the cheapest method of underwater mounting is a single pole mount that is effective in 30 meters of water or less. This is ideal for our near beach environment. Additionally, there is proven technology that has been already implemented elsewhere, that uses a more sophisticated mount that allows for installation in waters up to 60 meters. The cost is almost double for an installation of this type. As a side note, all of the aforementioned technology appears to have been effective in ocean and saltwater environments. From my findings, none of this technology has been thoroughly tested in the ice packed and sandy bottom waters of eastern Lake Michigan. In my opinion, as a bit of tree hugger, wind power is great and should be developed everywhere including in front of our shorelines. The argument of "not-in-my-backyard" is selfish. I think that rather than fighting the whole project to get it permanently stopped, we should consider a more popular approach. The approach I am leaning towards is adjusting the regulation as to the placement of offshore wind farms. Right now the proposal is to build the wind farm for the cheapest possible cost. The developers are business people and that is their job. They won't want to go out further into the lake if they can avoid it because that would cost more and it might take them twice as much time to recover their costs and turn a profit. Unfortunately, as all business has done for years, they are simply making themselves more profitable at the expense of others, namely the local economy. Our argument should be that we agree with the development of wind farms in front of Oceana and Mason Counties, but developed to be symbiotic with the local economy and not counterproductive. If I am not mistaken, the development of wind power is to eventually aid in permanently making the US energy independent without creating a larger environmental footprint. In that notion, profit is not, and should not, be the primary driving force. If the wind farm were to be placed out at the 15 mile mark several benefits are derived for everyone except maybe the investors of the power company. First, according to most studies I read, the wind is actually more consistent further out in the lake as we have all witnessed first handed. Second, at that distance, the local fisherman, pleasure boaters and sailors will by and large, not be impacted as they will still have freedom to navigate in the waters they are accustomed to. Third, at that distance, the sound will be virtually impossible to hear in any wind environment. Fourth, the windmills will be in less danger of being damaged by packed ice during the winter months. Finally, with the windmills placed out 15 miles, at beach elevation, the towers should be virtually invisible thanks to the curvature of the earth, thus preserving the local economy and beauty of the Great Lakes. We should strive in our effort to help drive the standards for which this and all other wind farms are to be developed. If the developers complain that the technology is too expensive today then they should do one of two things; they should either reconsider the project and the timetable for which it will become profitable, or postpone the project for a few years until the technology is more developed and some of the R&D costs have been burned off. Let’s work together with our county officials and our elected representatives in both Lansing and Washington to develop these standards to preserve everyone's rights, and not shift expenses from one group to another. If successful, we can help forge the proper development of wind farms in all of the Great Lakes!

I am totally against wind farms in Lake Michigan. Interesting that everyone was against oil well drilling in the Great Lakes, even from land, slant-wise drilling, but we got people sold on wind turbines in the Great Lakes. The 1000 jobs, how long will that last, and will they hire local labor. Not too many community colleges in Michigan, have Wind Power/Turbines as a curriculum. As a former Oceana County land owner and who spent many years vacationing in Oceana County, I enjoyed being at the beach and looking out seeing nothing but the lake. We got people brainwashed on global warming, green energy. One more thing, no one like sand mining of our dunes and their are laws against that. We are concern about the asian carp getting into Lake Michigan. I would like to know what the environmental and economics effects will be with wind turbines in Lake Michigan. I hope their is enough opposition against this project, it never gets off the ground.

First of all, this Norweign company is only licensed for building wind farms on water. That means the lion share of the monies will leave this country. The minimual jobs will end as soon as it's built. Legislation is being discussed to end riparian rights. Riparian rights: owning the beach to it's normal water line. If this legislation passes, it allows wind farm companies to come onto beaches so they may build. They must have access in order to build. For those paying lake front taxes, which are outrageous to begin with, will also have blight on their beaches with no allowable action! And what will that do to our public beach fronts? Chew on that awhile. Also water wind farms lose energy as they send the generated power to shore. The farther out they are, the more energy lost. Also they've been having problems with turbine fires and are uninsurable. Check out the report sent to J. Granholm from the Wind Council Committee, Sept 09. While I think it's important for Green energy to be developed I'm not sure this is an answer. First and for most, I want American companies and American workers developing these. We must invest in America! Besides that, there will be places to build wind farms. Who says it must be on the lakes? I want a lot more research and development before the people in Michigan roll over and say yeah, ok, destroy our beauty.

This is an incredibly radical and wild proposal, and our fishing/recreation is sure to suffer, perhaps forever. Has anyone told these folks that this is one of the nicest recreation areas in the in the world? Other states have passed ordinances against these things, especially in prime fishing and recreational areas. The Jobs they are talking about here are surely a hoax--this is a typical ploy of developers, and now a new one of pretending to care about being "green"--It aint green if you disrupt wildlife habitats to the degree these surely will. Imagine tons and tons of muck pumped into the Big lake as these monstrosities are being built for years and years--Fish will die or go elsewhere. THIS IS NOT A PLACE FOR A POWER PLANT!!! put it in Minnesota or Norway, where it too damn cold to swim, sail, waterski or fish. And when these guys are still counting there billions, we will be left with their ugly, obsolete rusting hulks. THE LAKE IS NOT TO BE MESSED WITH!!!!

If the govenor wants them so bad put them in her backyard. It will destroy the tourism and fishing in the areas of the wind farm. Granholm has been fighting to keep the Asian Carp from invading the waters of Lake Mi yet she allows a wind farm, is she out her mind? Put the wind farms on the Potomac or off of Washington DC where there is alot of wind generated not in our pristine areas of the Great Lakes. Will anybody monitor Hydraulic fluids leaking from the turbines into our closed water system that many states take their drinking water from?

I would just like to say to you people bad mouthing the wind turbines dont post comments when you dont know what the hell you are talking about. Jim your post makes me laugh I just went to school in California for wind turbine technician and its a lot more than people looking at meters in a office so think before you talk. Martha you dont have a clue what you are talking about 25 mph LOL try 10mph and friction fire from the blades where the hell did you hear that LOL. People please look into things before you bash something I spent 6,000 dollars to go to california and learn how to build and maintain these turbines I was there for a month and they are very impresive. One 2megga watt turbine can power 900 houses so yea they do put out a lot of power for you people that think they dont do much. The wind industry is the future so stop trying to fight it lets help this world go green. And make jobs for people like me and my 2 cousins that went to school with me.

Nathan... I'm so happy for you and there is a place for wind turbines, but not wind farms/factories and not in Lk Michigan. I've spoken to many who have gone through this nightmare in their communities and buddy your missing some facts yourself. For one thing you should know our grids at this time cannot handle the load it will be expected to accomidate at present. However, if taxpayers and business owners were given those fat grants these wind investment companies are trying to purge out of Michigan taxpayers, we, at this time, would not have to be concerned about the grid. In my business alone, with a grant for two turbines I could provide enough energy to run my busness and the the two adjacent to me, saving me alone, $25k a year.This money would go back into our local economy generating growth... Same would be true for homeowners... Jobs installing, maintaining, and more disposable income for the taxpayers in Michigan/country.This energy would not require an upgrade to our grid, but would require that we still be connected to the grid. Wind power is not dependable...!!! Keep the jobs and money local and keep foreign investment companies from taking OUR tax dollars our of the area and the country......