Energy and environment

CLOSUP Wind Project

January 2013 - December 2019

Summary

The CLOSUP Wind Project, led by Sarah Mills, aims to improve understanding of state and local policy issues related to utility-scale wind energy development. This project originated from three surveys conducted in 2013 and 2014-one of residents in the Great Lakes region, another of local officials in Michigan, and a third of farmland owners near four Michigan windfarms.

In 2016, CLOSUP received a grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to investigate community attitudes about wind energy near Michigan's existing windfarms and then communicate lessons-learned to inform local wind development policies.

In 2019, the Michigan Energy Office within the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) funded an expansion of this work, to help Michigan communities plan for energy infrastructure more broadly. The project provides information templates and FAQs, and technical assistance—through in-person presentations, phone and email consultations, and webinars—to communities to help determine how to incorporate energy into their land use plans and ordinances.

In 2020, the CLOSUP wind project transitioned into the Renewable Energy Policy Initiative and was spun out to the Graham Energy Futures Initiative.

Reports:

Michigan Planner: Wind Energy and Farmland Preservation (June 2018)
Michigan Planner: Advice for Rural Communities and Planners about Wind Energy (June 2018)
Fiscal Impacts of Wind Energy on Michigan’s Schools (July 2017)
Views of Wind Development from Michigan's Windfarm Communities (February 2017)
- Survey questions used in this report
The Impact of Wind Energy on Farming (January 2015)
- Survey questions used in this report
Wind Power as a Community Issue in Michigan (July 2014)
Wind Energy Development in the Great Lakes Region: Current Issues and Public Opinion (April 2014)

Video/Webinars:

August 2018 - The Impact of Wind Energy on Rural Communities - North Central Climate Collaborative webinar with slides
December 2017 - Is Wind Energy Right for your Community? – Webinar with narrated slides

Presentations:

Funding from the Michigan Energy Office allows CLOSUP researchers to provide technical assistance to communities across the state of Michigan on planning and zoning for energy infrastructure, tailoring presentations based on the interests of the community. Below is a sample of presentations. A full list of presentations is available as part of CLOSUP's Energy & Environmental Policy Initiative.

If your community has questions about planning and zoning for energy, contact Dr. Sarah Mills at 734-615-5315 or by email to [email protected].

May 2019 - What you always wanted to know about wind and solar farms - Bay City Garden Club
April 2019 - Planning for Renewable Energy in Michigan Communities – Small Town & Rural Development Conference
October 2018 – Is Wind Energy Right for your Township? – Sherwood Township Planning Commission
September 2018 - The Power of the Wind, a Michigan Story - Michigan Association of Planning Annual Conference
September 2018 – Understanding the Pros and Cons of Wind Energy – Casnovia Township Planning Commission
November 2017 – Pros and Cons of Windfarms – Midland County Board of Commissioners
October 2017 - Lessons Learned from Michigan’s Windfarms - Michigan Municipal Electric Association Annual Meeting
September 2017 - What Windfarms Mean for Local Communities - Michigan Association of Counties Annual Conference
September 2017 - Lessons from Michigan’s Windfarms - Michigan Association of Planning Annual Conference

“SARAH MILLS CAME UP JUST PASSING ALONG THE FACTS. THE ASSISTANCE OF DATA ALLOWED US TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR OUR FUTURE.”
Bill Renn, Chandler Township Supervisor