Co-op News
Wolverine Wins Wind Honor
The first commercial-scale wind project in Michigan has helped a G&T in the state win a major national honor.
The Harvest Wind Farm in Michigan has helped a G&T attain a national honor. (Photo By: Wolverine Power Supply Corp.)
Wolverine Power Supply Co-op, based in Cadillac, has been recognized as the Department of Energy’s 2008 Wind Cooperative of the Year.
The G&T, which has six members, will receive the honor at the NRECA annual meeting next month in New Orleans.
Wolverine partnered with John Deere Wind Energy, the project developer, to purchase electricity from the 32-turbine Harvest Wind Farm in Huron County, about 115 miles north of Detroit.
“Wolverine is proud of its involvement with John Deere Wind Energy in the Harvest Wind Farm,” said Eric D. Baker, president and CEO of Wolverine. “Harvest was a rewarding experience for us and a ground-breaking project for our state.”
The project generated 122,254 megawatt-hours of electricity in 2008, its first full year of operation. The addition of the wind energy to Wolverine’s portfolio is a major step toward complying with a state target that calls for 10 percent of electricity to come from renewables by 2015.
“We take pride in the fact that the Harvest Wind Farm was developed voluntarily,” Baker said. “It’s the first wind farm in Michigan and places us well on our way toward meeting the state’s new Renewable Portfolio Standard.”
A panel of wind industry, government, national laboratory and electric cooperative experts tapped Wolverine for the honor, which is sponsored by the Department of Energy’s Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program.
“Overcoming significant barriers associated with your first $94 million wind project demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment from Wolverine directors, management and project partners,” Randy Manion, of the Western Area Power Administration in Colorado, wrote in a letter announcing the award.
Tags: Co-op News, Renewable Energy, Wind Energy