MAREC moves another step closer to wind energy research in Lake Michigan

By Sharon Hanks

Hopes of conducting a large-scale wind energy research project offshore in Lake Michigan has moved a step closer with news of a $1.36 million energy efficient grant awarded to the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) in Muskegon.

The grant approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission matches a $1.4 million federal grant awarded last year to MAREC to research the feasibility of deployment of offshore wind technologies in Michigan, officials say. The research would be conducted in partnership with the University of Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute.

The grant brings the total research fund to $2.7 million, "but it's not enough to conduct the offshore research project as to the kind we'd like," says MAREC Director T. Arnold (Arn) Boezaart, noting that officials estimate the research project to cost between $5 million to $6 million. "It's a very big project and this is an important step. There's a lot to be learned out there. We're about two-thirds home with (starting) this project.

"We're hoping to find a third partner or stakeholder for this project," Boezaart says. "Perhaps someone from the private sector would be willing to invest with the two universities."

Boezaart is hoping more funds can be raised so the project could begin within the next 12 months.

Located in the Muskegon Lakeshore SmartZone on Muskegon Lake, MAREC is a business incubator overseen by Grand Valley State University that offers office and laboratory space to start-up technology companies in the alternative and renewable energy fields.

Sources: T. Arnold (Arn) Boezaart, Director of GVSU's Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center in Muskegon; Michigan Public Service Commission; and GVSU.

Sharon Hanks is the innovations and job news editor at Rapid Growth Media. She can be reached at [email protected].