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Clean Energy in Michigan Series: wind energy

Wind Turbines in a field
Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Clean Energy in Michigan Series: wind energy

The following webinars highlight the steps needed to plan and zone for utility-scale wind energy in municipalities throughout Michigan. 

These webinars are some of the many resources curated by the Catalyst Communities Initiative, a comprehensive initiative providing education, training, planning and technical resources to local public officials to enable a just transition to decarbonization.

Introduction to Planning & Zoning for Wind and Solar

From wide-open rural areas to compact cities, Michigan is beginning the transition to alternative energy. To prepare for the development of wind and solar in your community, Dr. Sarah Mills and Hannah Smith from the University of Michigan’s Graham Sustainability Institute discuss the positives and negatives, and why planners - especially those in rural communities - need to start planning and zoning for renewable energy now.

This webinar is the first in a three part mini-series geared towards helping local Michigan governments on determining whether, how, and where clean energy fits within their community.

Originally aired March 30, 2021

Download intro to planning and zoning presentation

Planning & Zoning for Utility-Scale Wind

Wind energy technology has changed in the last decade, and many zoning ordinances haven’t kept pace. Does your ordinance need an update?

In this session, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about planning and zoning for wind energy and provide practical tools to help accomplish your local government's goals. 

Originally aired April 13, 2021

Download utility-scale wind presentation

Using EZMT Online Mapping to Plan for Clean Energy

Developed by the US Department of Energy, the Energy Zones Mapping Tool (EZMT) is a publicly available online resource which provides data, models, and reports for nine different energy categories (i.e. wind, solar, coal). It is a one-stop-shop for understanding a community’s existing energy infrastructure and its potential for future clean energy infrastructure. Users can draw boundaries, overlay land characteristics, plot electrical substations and transmission lines, and model potential power generation.

This session provides an overview and live demonstration of the tool, focusing on features of greatest interest to land use planners, with Jim Kuiper of the Argonne National Laboratory. 

Originally aired January 21, 2021

Download EZMT online mapping presentation

Contact us

For questions on EGLE solar energy content, contact our Energy Services Unit at EGLE-EnergyServices@Michigan.gov

For questions on University of Michigan solar energy content, contact Sarah Mills, Senior Project Manager at SBMills@UMich.edu

Part of the Clean Energy in Michigan Series

Communities around the state have planned for and developed wind and solar energy projects on rural, urban, and brownfield sites. The lessons learned during these processes are applicable to future projects in a variety of settings.

This series helps you understand how communities across Michigan plan for clean energy.

More about the Clean Energy in Michigan Series