A company wants to build wind turbines in your township and is offering landowners, many of them farmers, a sweet deal to lease property. Meanwhile, your board meeting is packed with strongly opposed residents who view wind turbines as a nuisance.
It’s a situation a growing number Michigan communities face as utilities look for cleaner energy sources. Both sides present contradictory facts in their favor. Search the internet and the story is the same: huge successes and horror stories, depending on the source.
Sarah Mills, a senior project manager and researcher at the Ford School’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, is helping community planners and elected officials sort through the noise and make decisions based on data and research.
