THE CASE FOR GREAT LAKES WIND

Energy lawyer advocates for Great Lakes wind power
Lynn Stevens, February 3, 2009 (Business Review Western Michigan via MLive)

“David Marvin, shareholder and chair of the Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications Law department at Fraser Trebilcock Davis & Dunlap in Lansing, has been involved in energy and utility law for over three decades. He says it's time for Michigan to move beyond the "Age of Fire -- we dig stuff up and burn it," to developing offshore wind energy in the Great Lakes…because affordable energy is a major factor in where manufacturers site their operations…”

[Marvin:] "According to an economist at Tufts University, a carbon tax of 20 percent would double the cost of coal and increase the cost of coal-generated electricity 40 percent. That's one of the key factors why I think the government should get proactive in developing wind power, especially offshore wind power. "

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[Marvin:] "I believe in free markets, but free markets can be harsh if you wait for a crisis before you act. I think we're headed for a real crisis if we just sit around enjoying the status quo while we wait for a carbon tax to hit. "

[Marvin:] "Is [Michigan offshore wind development] doable? I'd have to say yes. It's already a significant part of the global energy-supply mix…Can we afford it? Another good question is, can we afford not to do it, given the fact we're looking at the significant risk of a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system that would significantly increase the cost of coal-fired systems and rate increases anyway. Why not pursue a source that's free, reliable and doesn't create pollution? There are places where customer costs have decreased where wind is added to the system…In the early 1980s, (wind generation) was 35 cents per kilowatt hour. It's come down now in some installations to 8, 9, 10 or 11 cents per kilowatt hour...it would be competitive with overall generation costs. "

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[Marvin:] "… Michigan is a late comer to wind energy...what we should be focusing on is offshore freshwater development. It would be different from what is being done offshore in oceans…You're talking turbines where blade-to-blade distance is the length of a football field...It's all made in Europe. Who should be building the equipment for manufacturing, fabricating and installing offshore wind? Nobody's doing it here now. There's a niche…Ohio's getting ahead of us...Wisconsin has studied more than we have...in Lake Michigan. So even within the Great Lakes region, though we have the greatest potential, other states seem to be more actively pursuing the opportunity. "

[Marvin:] "Offshore wind in the U.S. is a brand-new, infant industry. It's not an infant in Europe. The good news is, now we have some information and know what works. Those who act quickly can take a leading role. But there needs to be a partnership between business and government for it to work."