Drivers around Michigan might see 165-foot wind turbine blades, generators and towers on the highways as the equipment gets transported for Consumers Energy’s second wind park.
Construction for the utility’s $255 million Cross Winds project, which includes 62 wind turbines with a capacity of 105 megawatts, is underway in Tuscola County. About 150 workers are currently working on the wind park, which is expected to be up and running later this year.
“Consumers Energy and its contractors are committed to building Cross Winds Energy Park in the safest manner possible,” John Bulloch, the wind park’s project manager, said in a statement. “A key part of our commitment to safety is openly communicating about construction activity that Michigan residents may encounter.”
The new wind park will allow Consumers to meet the state’s deadline to generate 10 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2015.
Consumers recently hired Southfield-based Barton Malow Co. to be the lead contractor for the project. The company has completed nearly all access drives and more than half of the turbine foundations.
In agreement with the Tuscola County Road Commission, the project will also include necessary maintenance, repair and upgrades to several roads needed for transporting wind turbine components and other construction-related materials.
Source: Mlive.com