The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) today created the Wind Energy Resource Zone Board and appointed 11 members to serve on it.

Public Act 295 of 2008 directs the MPSC to create the board and appoint its members.

The appointees are: 

·         Trevor Lauer, vice president, retail marketing, DTE Energy, representing the electric utility industry;

·         David Walters, general manager, Zeeland Board of Public Works, representing the electric utility industry;

·         Robert Ianni, division chief, Department of Attorney General, Tobacco and Special Litigation Division, representing the Attorney General

·         John Miceli, energy market analyst, Wolverine Power Cooperative, representing alternative electric suppliers;

·         Steve Brock, city manager, Farmington Hills, representing cities and villages;

·         Gene Jorissen, supervisor, Charter Township of Pere Marquette, representing townships;

·         Roger Kershner, Renewable Energy Systems Americas, Inc., representing the renewable energy industry;

·         David Wright, Michigan Environmental Council, representing a statewide environmental organization;

·         Thomas Vitez, vice president, Transmission Planning, ITC Holdings Corp, representing independent transmission companies;

·         Mary Templeton, senior vice president, North American OEM Group, R.L.Polk & Company, representing the public at large; and

·         Julie Baldwin, engineer, MPSC, representing the Commission.

The board's statutorily-enumerated responsibilities include consulting with local units of government in the study of wind energy production potential and the viability of wind as a source of commercial energy generation in Michigan and the availability of land in Michigan for potential utilization by wind energy conversion systems.

The board is required to issue a proposed report detailing its finding no later than June 2, 2009.  This proposed report will include a list of regions in the state with the highest level of wind energy harvest potential, a description of the estimated maximum and minimum wind generating capacity in megawatts that can installed in each identified region in Michigan, an estimate of the annual maximum and minimum energy production potential for each identified region of this state, and an estimate of the maximum wind generation capacity already in service in each identified region of Michigan.

Copies of the proposed report will be submitted to the legislative body of each local unit of government located in whole or part within regions in the state with the highest level of wind energy harvest potential.  Such legislative bodies may submit comments to the board on the proposed report within 63 days after submission of the report to the legislative body.

After that deadline for comments, the board will host a separate public hearing in each region listed under Section 145(3)(a) of Act 295 that has the highest level of wind energy harvest potential. 

Within 45 days after satisfying the requirements of Section 145(4), the board shall issue a final report.  Electric utilities, affiliated transmission companies, and independent transmission companies will have 45 days to identify existing or new transmission infrastructure necessary to deliver maximum and minimum wind energy production potential for each of those region and to submit that information to the board for its review. 

The board has 45 days to wrap up its work, when it is required to be dissolved.

The MPSC is an agency within the Department of Labor & Economic Growth.

Case No. U-15899