Michigan’s largest wind farm started operations Wednesday, DTE Energy said in a statement.
The 212.8-megawatt Gratiot County Wind Project has 133 General Electric Co. turbines — 64 owned by Detroit-based DTE Energy and 69 by Chicago-based Invenergy Wind LLC. The wind park generates enough renewable energy to power more than 50,000 Michigan homes when the wind is blowing, DTE Energy said.
DTE is buying all the power from the wind farm under a 20-year contract.
“This investment proves that Michigan’s existing renewable energy law is working and the state is aggressively implementing its renewable commitment,” said Steve Kurmas, Detroit Edison president and chief operating officer, referring to Michigan’s requirement that utilities generate 10 percent renewable energy by 2015.
Livonia-based Aristeo Construction built the wind project on 30,000 acres in the townships of Wheeler, Bethany, Emerson and Lafayette. DTE Energy also is planning to build another wind park in Huron County and filing later this year for approval from the Michigan Public Service Commission, the company said.
The new wind park follows Consumer Energy’s announcement Tuesday that it has opened a development office in Caro as it prepares to start work on its 150-megawatt Cross Winds Energy Park in Tuscola County that is scheduled to begin construction in 2014.
The Detroit News
