Garden Township Wind Turbine Royalty

We have a follow–up report for you on a story from earlier this week.

It was about wind power on and near the Garden Peninsula.

The first turbine in the area has been operational for several months.

The township recently received its first royalty check from Heritage Sustainable Energy from operation of the first turbine.

An area resident told us the check was for $6.

Township Supervisor Morgan Tatrow says the township clerk would be in a better position to know the exact amount than he is, but he says the amount is in the $6 range.

He says the check was accompanied by a letter from Heritage saying future royalty checks would be sent out only when the amount due reaches $25.

We attempted to reach Garden Township Clerk Lois Thibault to confirm this information.

She has not replied to our request for comment.

However, since our earlier story aired on Tuesday, a second official from Heritage Sustainable Energy has replied to us about the company’s desire to start another wind farm in Cooks.

Heritage’s project manager , Xiomara Cordoba, confirms that the company has a meteorological tower in Cooks to measure wind speed and direction there.

She says in an e–mail, “We have also leased land from area landowners.

…Cooks is one of about 6 wind prospecting areas we have in Michigan.

Over time we gather information from a variety of source and conduct studies and consultations before deciding to move forward with a project.

Depending on our findings and ability to sell electricity, some of these prospecting areas may become projects and get built, while others won’t.”