The Great Plains Institute is engaging local governments across the Upper Midwest on long-term planning for renewable energy. As part of this effort, we developed a guide to provide communities in Michigan with an overview of long-term utility- and community-scale solar and wind development—systems sized one megawatt (MW) or greater.

The guide provides a summary of key topics important to developing solar and wind in Michigan:

  • Renewable energy siting authority
  • Taxation and local revenue
  • Solar and wind resources in Michigan
  • Existing solar and wind projects in Michigan
  • Market trends for Michigan’s solar and wind development

The guide also provides information and resources on energy siting, policy, taxation, and incentives for solar and wind in Michigan.

Download “Siting Utility-Scale Solar and Wind in Michigan: A Guide for Local Governments.” 

Solar and wind energy, resources that are abundant throughout the state of Michigan, are among the least expensive forms of electric generation in the country—and costs of both solar and wind energy systems are forecast to continue declining. Market activity in renewable energy development is expected to continue increasing well into the future.

Understanding the long-term market context helps communities make informed decisions in evaluating renewable energy proposals and creating plans about how future development should happen. Wind and solar resources are abundant throughout Michigan, and wind and solar energy developments are being proposed across the state. Figures 1 and 2 show the wind and solar resources of the state.

Figure 1: Wind Resource

Data Source: National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) national wind speed data, 2006-2013. NREL incorporates surface wind data, upper-air data, topography, and other factors to estimate the wind resource potential over many square miles. The data is most accurate for large spatial scales.

Figure 2: Solar Resource

Data Source: NREL Multi-Year PSM Direct Normal Irradiance data available through National Solar Radiation Dataset, 2019.

Download the Michigan Utility-Scale Solar and Wind Siting Guide

We are developing additional state guides and will provide links here as they’re published:

We also created a three-part series about increasing long-term market understanding in communities that can help them be prepared for utility-scale wind and solar project siting in the Midwest:

  • Part one focused on market forces and increasing the need for local communities to incorporate and plan for large-scale renewable deployment.
  • Part two helped describe the adjacent conditions and constraints that can help inform community decisions around utility-scale siting and begin conversations to prepare for long-term pressures and opportunities.
  • Part three addressed what local communities can do to increase readiness for project development.

If you are interested in hosting a utility-scale wind or solar workshop or would like more information on resources available (and relevant) to your specific community, please reach out to:

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