A Tale Of Two Companies.

[finnsawyer]

That's the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where I live.  The tests will go on for two years.  After that they plan to put up as many as 24 wind turbines at one of the sites.  I'm betting on the one north of here on the spine of the Keweenaw Peninsula.  Now here's someone that's putting their money where their mouth is unlike the local power company (actually out of Wisconsin).  The power company invites all the "Greens" to donate $4.00 per month per block of 100 kwhr so the power company can buy wind generated electricity.  Wow! Such a deal.  Let someone else do the hard work while the power company fat cats rake in the dough.  Of course, the program is not spelled out in detail.  Some things never change.  

[windstuffnow]

  I recieved a notice in my power bill of "green" energy for 2.50 per 100kw blocks.  I guess I feel that I can donate to my own cause for green energy instead of paying for their endevours.  Plus, since we have no wind farms near by, how can they give me my green blocks?  I'm in lower Michigan.   I feel I pay enough for big buildings and fat wages to the insurance companies why should I spend more for the same and get less.  Just another way to dig into your pockets...

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[DanB]

It's a hard call for me I guess.  I read somewhere (not sure where...) that our govt subsidizes coal/nat gas/and nuclear to the tune of about 30 Billion $/year.  So the cost of grid power is very much artificially lowered.  Wind power gets very small subsidies.  In Ft Collins, they have a similar 'deal' - I think you pay about $.02 more per KWH for 'wind' - meaning, the windfarm (which is actually located far away in the middle of wyoming) must produce an equal amount of power that is being payed for.  I don't believe it's a bad deal, the bottom line is that it does cost the power companies more to go that route I think.  New Belgium brewing signed on to that and their consumption was enough to justify an entire turbine just for their needs.  They also have a pretty neat cogeneration system there that keeps their power bills down a bit:

http://www.newbelgium.com/innovation_waste.php

so while there is room for suspect here, I don't think it's a bad thing.  We're happy to spend a touch more at our office in town to see the windfarm grow.  Without it - I'm quite sure there would be no windfarm for Ft Collins.

[asheets]

Wasn't there an article in the Coloradoan last week or so saying that wind-generated electricity was going to be 1:1 cost competative (or even cheaper) with the other City of FC offerings next year?