We need to spotlight successes like this in every area of renewable energy in our state. To me, this is further evidence that renewable energy has a big role to play in the reinvention of our state economy.

Anyone that lives here knows that Upton will handily win re-election. Cooney is viewed as a fringe liberal by many. I had never heard of the other candidate, which I think says a lot.

I would very much like to see Mr. Upton review his stance on renewable energy and think about more than just nuclear. We still haven’t fully determined what to do with spent fuel rods, and who can dismiss the wind opportunity on the coasts of our Great Lakes?

Look far and wide and I think you will see that the Pickens Plan is the only plan with enough traction to make a difference in the political climate of our country. It is up to each of us in our own communities to make a difference, but a larger vision will help all of us achieve our common goal of energy independence for America.

Congratulations, Pickens Plan!

You can read the article here.

That is one of the reasons this article from TV6 caught my eye. It has some really good information about Michigan producing wind energy and names some of the best spots in the UP for wind turbines.

One of the arguments is that more research and data is needed. I agree. And I think that process will produce more ideas to make it even more cost effective to harvest this resource in a safe and sustainable way.

The other thing in this article that struck me is the irony of the big ships needed to put the deep-water foundations in place. Those ships are in high demand by the oil industry for setting up offshore drilling rigs.

Twice the cost? By the time these solutions are deployed, I don’t think that will be the case.

“According to the company, there are some 30 billion square feet of flat roof space in the United States, just waiting to be covered. With that much space, Solyndra’s tubes could generate enough power for more than 16 million homes.”

It comes from this article that I saw posted on the twitter of JA Consultants.

Michigan isn’t exactly known for its ample sunshine, which makes me think that wind is a better alternative for our state. But the technology this company has created is very promising and there are plenty of sunny places in the USA to deploy it to.

As of June 2008, it looks like Michigan is producing 55 mw of power from wind. I would like to see a breakout of how many businesses and homes that energy is powering.