Offshore Wind Study Grant provided to Grand Valley State- Muskegon
(Source: Grand Haven Tribune)MUSKEGON — The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $1.4 million grant to Grand Valley State University’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center for an assessment project to collect offshore wind and related research data.
The project is a partnership between MAREC and the University of Michigan’s Phoenix Energy Institute. The project has secured $3.1 million in grants and research funds, including a $1.36 million energy-efficiency grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission.
The project’s goal is to establish a single offshore structure in Lake Michigan that will allow the year-round collection of wind data and other related information. This data will assist in evaluating the economic viability, as well as the societal and environmental impact, of an offshore wind industry.
“This grant is instrumental in helping Grand Valley and University of Michigan scientists conduct important research, which will provide sound scientific data needed to help develop a better understanding of offshore wind and other environmental conditions,” said MAREC executive director Arn Boezaart. “The offshore wind assessment project will also contribute to a greater understanding of the state and federal permitting and regulatory requirements that will govern the future development of offshore utility-scale wind power generation in the Great Lakes.”
