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Correction: Adams Township Supervisor Gerald Heikkinen has reached out to Keweenaw Report to clarify that the wind farm being proposed has four turbines in Adams Township and eight in Stanton Township.
A proposed wind farm in Adams and Stanton Townships is being evaluated by the Federal Aviation Administration for its potential effects on air travel in the region. Public comment is welcome until May 20th at the agency’s website.
For every potential project, an assessment must be completed by the FAA’s Obstruction Evaluation Group (OEG). The process is comprehensive, so any applicants are encouraged to submit their proposal three to four months before they intend construction to begin.
Plans for a wind farm in 2015 fell through, but Circle Power of Royal Oak, Michigan claims to have incorporated prior concerns into its new layout. It hopes to erect 12 wind turbines, all of which will be well-distanced from any area homes. Keweenaw Report has reached out to Circle Power for additional comment.
The planned towers could rise upwards of 575 feet. To put that in perspective, the largest building in the Upper Peninsula is the Ray L. Smith Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics building on Michigan Tech’s campus, around 134 feet. The tallest structure is the 143-foot Superior Dome at Northern Michigan University. Both of those are approximately one-quarter the height of what Circle Energy wishes to install. This point was made in public comment at last week’s Houghton County Board of Commissioners meeting by a resident opposed to the wind farm.
The OEG has solicited comments from area municipalities as well. The Hancock City Council discussed at their last meeting whether they intended to take a specific position on the issue. That group meets again on Wednesday night, one day before the comment period ends.
