Plan Could Earn Millions, Cut Biomass
TRAVERSE CITY -- The Michigan Land Use Institute has a plan it says will create revenue for the Traverse City area and reduce the need for biomass.
The proposal, introduced Tuesday night to Traverse City Light and Power, is called “20-20 by 2020”. The Michigan Land Use Institute says TCLP should aim for 20% renewable energy and 20% energy efficiency by the year 2020. Currently, TCLP is operating with a 30% renewable energy goal under the same timeline.
So how would the plan work? The Michigan Land Use Institute says the idea is for local schools, businesses, and non-profits to build their own wind turbines and install solar arrays. TCLP would contract with those organizations to buy back any extra renewable energy. The Michigan Land Use Institute estimates that at its peak, the program would earn about $150 million dollars for the local economy over the next 30 years.
Executive Director of the Michigan Energy Alternative Project, Tom Karas says “When you get local organizations and entrepreneurs involved in creating energy and they know they can sell back to a utility company, you create a market. The energy you generate will be sold and it will give you guaranteed rate over guaranteed period of time for 20 years is what we proposed.”
TCLP Executive Director, Ed Rice says “I think they have a real interest in what’s best for the community just like Light and Power does. They also desire to have less carbon dioxide admitted in the air and that is also what TCLP anticipates performing.”
Biomass will also still be an option for reaching the 20% renewable energy part of the goal. |
Karas says “The Michigan Land Use Institute and Michigan Energy Alternative Project do believe a sustainable biomass program can be created in Traverse city. We put together points that would have to be filled in order to give our support, but we believe its possible to have state of the art, internationally recognized biomass in Traverse City that other states replicate."
TCLP will be releasing results of two recent public forums Wednesday April 7th at 7:00pm at the Hagerty Center.
