Consumers Energy and Traverse-City based Heritage Sustainable Energy announced an agreement today that will result in the first large-scale production of utility-scale wind turbines fully made in Michigan and hundreds of new jobs.
The news was announced at a press conference in Lansing with Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and representatives from Consumers Energy, Heritage and Northern Power Systems and Merrill Technologies Group.
Northern Power Systems will build the direct drive wind turbines in its Saginaw, Michigan, facility where it will employ up to 137 workers by 2014. The company also plans to use substantial supply chain resources in Michigan, including strategic supplier Merrill Technologies Group, also in Saginaw.
The turbines will be shipped to Heritage Sustainable Energy’s wind farm located in the Upper Peninsula’s Garden Peninsula where 80 direct and indirect jobs will be created to support the project development, installation, and operation phases.
Heritage Sustainable Energy will then sell the power it generates to Consumers Energy.
“Development of the wind energy sector is a key piece of Michigan’s strategy to diversify our economy and create clean energy jobs,” said Governor Granholm. “The agreement announced today helps to solidify the state’s emerging leadership in this industry.”
Martin Lagina, president and chief executive officer of Heritage Sustainable Energy, said that the Heritage Garden Wind Farm project exemplifies all of the intended goals of the state’s renewable energy standard: Michigan-based renewable energy generation supplied to Michigan utilities, investment in local economies via job creation, material purchases and an enhanced tax base; and investment in Michigan technology and manufacturing.
“Heritage Sustainable Energy is proud to be a leader in utility-scale wind farm development right here in our own backyard,” Lagina said.
