A one-page synopsis of the project.

Wind Power West Michigan - July 2009 (updated March 2010) (Adobe PDF 0.2 MB)

A synthesis report documenting the state of wind energy development in West Michigan and trends shaping the region's renewable energy future.

Status and Trends Fact Sheet - March 2010 (Adobe PDF 1.0 MB)

Status and Trends Report - November 2009 (Adobe PDF 1.3 MB)

This issue brief summarizes the environmental challenges presented by onshore wind energy and several management options.

Land-based Wind Energy and the Environment - Issue Brief 11 - May 2014 (Adobe PDF 1.6 MB).

This issue brief summarizes the environmental challenges and benefits from offshore wind energy development in Michigan's coastal zone.

Offshore Wind and the Environment: Issue Brief 10 - May 2014 (Adobe PDF)

This issue brief tackles the navigational challenges presented by onshore and offshore wind turbines as well as options for mitigating the challenges.

Wind Farms and Navigation: Issue Brief 9 - May 2014 (Adobe PDF 1.4 MB)

The eighth issue brief analyzes the challenges of intermittent wind energy and the innovations that can enable more wind energy to provide reliable electricity on the grid.

Wind and the Electric Grid: Issue Brief 8 - April 2014 (Adobe PDF 1982 kb)

Scientific evidence shows that wind energy can be successfully integrated into the electricity grid and doing so reduces emissions of air pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide.

Wind Power and Air Quality: Issue Brief 7 - April 2014 (Adobe PDF 887 kb)

The sixth issue brief is the second of a two part brief looking at wind energy economics.  This brief looks at wind energy production costs and additional impacts.

Wind Energy Economics: Part 2 Issue Brief 6  - April 2013 (Adobe PDF 961 kb)

The fifth issue brief is the first of a two part brief looking at wind energy economics.  This brief looks at wind energy and its potential economic development in West Michigan.

Wind Energy Economics: Part 1 Issue Brief 5  - April 2013 (Adobe PDF 1.63 MB)

The fourth issue brief from the West Michigan Wind Assessment describes a Delphi Inquiry on offshore wind energy development in Lake Michigan. The Delphi Inquiry is a form a facilitated group discussion around on complex topic. Citizens from five coastal counties participated in the Delphi. The participants agreed on a variety of challenges that offshore wind would have to address before it would become acceptable. The participants came to little agreement on what benefits offshore wind energy might bring to coastal communities.

Issue Brief 4; Citizen Views on Offshore Wind - September 2011 (Adobe PDF 1.2 MB)

This is the third issue brief in a series of issue brief. This brief summarizes uses peer-reviewed journal articles and technical reports about offshore wind developments to examine the social issues related to offshore wind. This includes public acceptance, visibility, noise and tourism. The final section reviews wind policy and regulatory issues in Michigan.

Offshore Wind Energy: Part 1 Issue Brief - May 2011 (Adobe PDF 1.21 MB)

The second of a series of wind energy issue briefs synthesizes the state of the science around wind energy siting issues like flicker and noise, and analyzes how West Michigan communities are addressing these challenges. The issue brief also assesses how wind energy could improve air quality and human health outcomes in West Michigan and the region.

Wind Power and Human Health Issue Brief - August 2010 (Adobe PDF 730 Kb)

This first of series of issue briefs summarizes the factors that have influenced wind energy deployment across the country and around the world. It also brings the lessons home to West Michigan's coastal zone.

Wind Energy Deployment Issue Brief - May 2010 (Adobe PDF 935 Kb)

The terms in this glossary are organized into three sections: (1) Electricity Transmission Network; (2) Wind Turbine Components; and (3) Wind Energy Challenges, Issues and Solutions.

Wind Energy Glossary: Technical Terms and Concepts - June 2010 (Adobe PDF 2.4 MB)