Marquette Wind Turbine Proposal
The Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs showed up at the Marquette City Commission meeting tonight with an interesting proposal for the city.
No decisions were made on it; the presentation was only for informational purposes.
The Department proposes building a wind turbine in the city with the help of an energy company called Adventure Power.
The turbine could be used to power not only the National Guard armory in Marquette, but perhaps also the Jacobetti Home for Veterans.
Army Brig. Gen. Michael Stone, from the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, says for the last year or so, the Michigan National Guard has worked aggressively to become more self-sufficient regarding its energy needs.
He says the Guard would like particularly to do so regarding its 43 armories.
Since Marquette has not only an armory, but also one of the state’s two veterans’ homes and high wind usage, Gen. Stone feels Marquette would be an excellent location to build a turbine.
However, he says it’s not the only site the Department is considering.
The turbine would be 111 feet tall.
Construction and installation would cost $750,000 combined, and under the proposal, the city would not pay any of that cost.
The city would, however, be responsible for connecting the turbine to the local power grid.
The Guard would operate the turbine for at least two years, after which it would have the option of purchasing it from Adventure Power for $325,000.